Alchimie
by sessha-chan
Summary: The professor of alchemy in Hogwarts must be imported every year from a little country called Amestris. Edward pulled the short straw this year. He's on a mission and no one will stand in his way, not even exams!
1. Chapter 1

Standard disclaimers apply. If you don't like, don't waste your time reading it... flames will be duly ignored. If you have something to say that is less than complimentary please explain your reasoning behind it and i will take it into consideration for future writing.

AN: This has been on my computer for probably a good year and a half now, finished but needing a BETA. Lacking a willing BETA that would actually give me back the story with corrections i have given up on that front. Please excuse any mistakes.

**Alchimie mit Edward Heidrich**

Annamarie Couch

**Chapter 1**

**Professor of Alchemy**

Edward Elric, Fullmetal Alchemist, sighed. He flipped open the file Major General Mustang had given to him before he left Amestris as he boarded the train for the coast of France, ready to read it over once more. He pulled his reading glasses out from his coat pocket and put them on. Winry and Alphonse had told him long before that reading in dim light would strain his eyes. He should have listened, but it was a little late now. Hindsight is ever perfect, as the saying goes.

This was probably the strangest mission he had been sent on since he had willingly sought out and joined the military at the jaded age of twelve years old. Major General Mustang had called him into his office and told him the bare facts of _why_ he was being sent to a distant country to teach basic Alchemy to a bunch of magic-users. Apparently every year the government of Amestris sent one State Alchemist to the school of Hogwarts to brief the oldest of the students in Alchemy. Over the last years the alchemists that had been sent had reported growing tensions among the different factions of Wizards and, as the Major General had pointed out with an amused smirk, Edward was used to beating trouble down with a heavy, metal fist. So Mustang had submitted the request that Edward Elric, Fullmetal Alchemist, be sent to Hogwarts in case there was more trouble than any _normal_ State Alchemist could handle.

The report he had given Edward had copies of the reports from the others, dating back three years. Much had happened to the people who were not used to living in the middle of war. Edward sympathized with the situation, but he had to raise his eyebrow at the mention that many of the students were not taught practical combat and that their 'Defense Against the Dark Arts' classes had had a different professor every year since it was found that one six years back was working for the 'Dark Lord' Voldemort. He really had to wonder just how prepared these children were for a war of _any_ scale.

There had been a mention of some sort of prophesy concerning the self-appointed Dark Lord and a boy named Potter that Edward had glossed over. These people actually believed in prophesies? What a strange bunch.

Apparently the Headmaster had been killed in a raid on the school at the end of the last year. Edward shook his head, wondering who had been assigned then. Bumbling idiot, how could he have let people die on his watch? It was one thing to be caught in the middle of a coup or raid but to allow important people to die under your watch? What kind of State Alchemist was that? Probably a desk jockey. Edward shook his head again. It was a good thing the Major General had sent him this time.

Then again, it was not like he had anything interesting to do. He had gotten Alphonse's body back for him, exchanging an unwilling Envy and Gluttony along with the incomplete Philosopher's Stones they had in their bodies. It had been quite touch and go. Edward had almost lost control of the transmutation and lost himself as well to the Truth, but it all came out well in the end. Never would he tell Alphonse how close he had come to failing again. No, he would enjoy the fact that his brother could have a normal life. And for the last six months Edward had been languishing at a desk doing paperwork like a good Colonel should. He had been teetering at the precipice of boredom induced insanity until Mustang had reassigned him.

Edward supposed he should be grateful towards the womanizing, power-climbing man. If Mustang had not remembered him then Edward could still be handcuffed to his desk, bored out of his skull.

But no, now he was train-bound to a school of magic, in a pocket of society that was embroiled in the middle of a civil war. Never mind the fact that Edward was only eighteen, and had never taught before. Never mind the fact that he would have been happier to just have been sent after the Dark Lord himself without pussyfooting around students and professors.

Oh well. Nothing he could do about it now.

He sighed and put the file down. What was the point of reading it again? He had gone over it dozens of times already even after it had been committed to memory. The words did not change, nor what they conveyed. It mattered not that most of it was in the form of code, several different types of code. To Edward it was like reading a children's book. He had cracked Doctor Marcoh's Recipe-code years before and had yet to come across anything quite so devious amongst common (even State) alchemists. After that feat it seemed like every other code could be broken in his sleep.

Which was probably another reason why Edward did not mind greatly the fact that he had been assigned out-country. Who knew, maybe this assignment would prove interesting.

* * *

The castle was impressive, to say the least. Edward sized it up appreciatively with the eye of both an artist and an architect. He nodded once and slung his suitcase carelessly over his flesh left shoulder. With a confident lilt to his steps he ascended the stairs and pounded on the heavy door with his metal fist. He waited, his long golden hair and bright red coat catching the breeze that was blowing off the lake. Absently he scratched an itch behind his ear. When the door did open a tall, stern-faced woman peered down at him with a raised eyebrow.

"Yes? May I be of service?" she asked.

Edward nodded. English was not his best language but he hoped that he spoke it well enough. So he spoke slowly, careful to shape his words correctly. "My name is Edvard Heidrich. I am new Alchemy teacher."

"You?" she looked surprised.

"_Ja,"_ he said and pulled out his silver watch to show her the emblem of the State Alchemists before replacing it in his pocket. She nodded and stood aside to allow him inside the entrance hall. Edward nodded as he passed and gave the hall a cursory critical once over. Very open, was all he could think.

"Mr. Heidrich, how old are you?" she asked once the door was closed. Edward wasn't sure he had caught that right.

"Old?"

"Your age. What is your age?" she explained.

"Ah, _ja._ I am eight-ten years of age, _gnädige Frau,_" he said politely. She raised an eyebrow.

"And your rank? In the military?"

"_Oberst._ Colonel, in English," he frowned, hoping desperately that he had the right word.

"Really? A Colonel at such a young age?"

"_Ja,_" he nodded.

"What is the world coming to?" she murmured, shaking her head. "Well, come along then. I shall show you to your rooms and where you will be teaching. When you are settled in then I shall show you around the castle itself."

Edward nodded again and fell into step behind the Witch. He had been warned of the oddities that abounded in the castle, such as the portraits, the doors with personalities and the moving staircases. It had all been in the reports. Even so, it was unnerving to be introduced to a ghost.

His rooms were right behind the office that connected to the classroom he would be teaching in. Talk about living your job, he thought, shaking his head inwardly. On the floor and table he could still see the remnants of various arrays that could not be scrubbed off. Of course, just because you had been sent out-country did not mean your were exempt from your assessments, whenever they fell. Progress still had to be made, theories proven. Edward tossed his suitcase onto the bed and looked around. The walls were bare, with only the curtains and windows to vary the gray stone. The bed, neatly made with a plush green and yellow striped comforter, was pushed into one corner, leaving the bulk of the floor open. There were no books in the large bookcase, only a box of chalk.

"Does it meet with your approval?" asked the Witch from the doorway.

Edward nodded slowly, smiling politely. "_Ja, danke._ If I may ask, vhat is your name, _gnädige Frau?"_

"Minerva McGonagall," she answered, "I teach Transfigurations and am Headmistress of this school."

"It is a pleasure to meet you, _Frau_ McGonagall."

"And you, Mr. Heidrich. Welcome to Hogwarts."

* * *

Edward Elric, or, as he was to be known outside of Amestris, Edward Heidrich, soon found himself very bored. He had been introduced to the other professors and given the twenty-five cent tour around the castle. He had written Mustang to report his arrival to the Major General _and _gotten a reply. Apparently the professors did not understand why someone so young had been sent to teach. Mustang had written them explaining a small part of Edward's history in the military and mentioned his near unsurpassed skills. For the days following the arrival of that letter Edward had been the subject of many curious conversations and sideways glances. Not that it bothered him. Being the youngest in the military to ever make the rank of Colonel, beating even Mustang, not to mention being the one with the name and reputation of the Fullmetal Alchemist had taught Edward to brush off whispered conversations and speculations.

By the time the students arrived at the start of term Edward had already drawn up an entire lesson plan for the year, loose enough that it could be changed and shuffled around but definite enough to please Professor McGonagall. He had stocked his office with extra sticks of chalk both for himself to use and for the students. He had also taken meticulous inventory of the basic elements in the storeroom, making sure to request more of what he thought he would be using most.

The students arrived in the evening. Edward had been summoned down to the Great Hall, where all the meals were taken, and shown to his seat at the head table. He was situated between latest Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, a pink-haired lady who told him to call her Tonks, and a round, pleasant faced woman named Sprout, who taught Herbology, gardening, as far as he understood it. He and Tonks were deeply embroiled in a discussion about the uses of Alchemy in everyday life when the students entered the hall. Every single one was dressed in black robes, some wearing pointed black hats to match. They filed in and sat down at the four long tables, chattering excitedly amongst each other.

The first years were led in and Edward watched, bemused, as they were sorted into the four houses. Once all of the children had been seated appropriately McGonagall stood before them and began her address.

"Welcome to another year at Hogwarts," she started, looking over the Hall. The conversations stilled and every face turned to listen to the Headmistress. "We are glad to see so many faces, new and old. We have three new professors with us this year. Taking over the Potions classes is Professor Flanagan." A stalky man with graying hair waved a lazy hand to the students. McGonagall went on, "Teaching Muggle Studies and Defense Against the Dark Arts, Professor Smith and Professor Tonks respectively." Tonks stood and waved briefly before sitting again. Ann Smith waved, but did not venture out of her chair. "And teaching the seventh year class of Basic Alchemy is Colonel Heidrich of Amestris." Edward stood as well, nodding as he scanned the crowd curiously. There was a ripple of amazed murmuring as he sat down. Many of the students looked confused.

"They can't believe you're a professor when you look the same age as them," Tonks teased.

Edward shrugged. "I vas never as young as dem," he sighed, confusing the other professor.

McGonagall continued, "Dark times have befallen the Wizarding World. Therefore all extracurricular trips have been canceled. Students will refrain from going anywhere by themselves. These measures have been implemented for your safety. Let the feast begin," and with that she sat down, food appearing on every table, waiting to be eaten.

Edward eyed the food with a flash of distrust. Sure, he had been briefed on magic and had read all that reports, but it was another matter to see the act itself. He gingerly helped himself to a plateful of the strange food. It did not take him long to decide that he did not like the pumpkin juice and with a soft clap of his hands and a small flickering of blue energies the dark orange liquid paled to a more familiar hue. Orange juice, much better.

"Was that Alchemy?" asked Tonks.

"_Ja,"_ Edward nodded, "Basic _chemisch_ transmutation."

"It looks like orange juice now."

"It is," he held it up to the light, "I could do Alchemy at this level since I vas six."

"Really? You started that young?" she asked, intrigued.

"No one stopped me. I learned so _Bruder_ and I could help our _Mutter_," his eyes got a far away look and he frowned.

"You have a brother? How old is he?"

Edward tried to remember the right English word, "Seven-ten?" he said uncertainly.

"Seventeen?"

"_Ja._ Seventeen."

"So he's just a year younger than you."

"_Ja._ That is so," Edward nodded and started in on his dinner. After spending the majority of his teenage years wandering the countryside he had developed a deep respect for food. He still would not touch milk, but even without the calcium rich drink he had managed to hit five feet and a handful of inches inches tall, so no longer was he so obviously _short_, he was just shy of average. Even if everyone he worked with back in Amestris was taller than him. Mustang stilled enjoyed poking fun at him but Edward had gotten better at restraining his irritation. He was not a child any longer after all.

Dinner was loud and by the time Edward could leave for his rooms he had a headache the size of Mustang's ego. He bid the other professors a good night and slipped into the hallways as quietly as he could. He wanted to get as much sleep as possible. Tomorrow was his first day of teaching.

* * *

The seventh year students bustled excitedly into the classroom for their first lesson in Alchemy. No one could see the professor anywhere. They took their seats, talking amongst themselves, passing around suppositions and idle gossip. After everyone had sat down the door that led to the office opened and Edward stepped out, facing his class for the first time.

Silence fell.

Edward did not look up from the sheaf of papers in his hand as he walked across the room to stand in front of the chalkboard. Every eye was trained on him, wondering what he was going to do. At last he looked up, startling everyone with the odd colour of his eyes. If they had thought that his hair was a pure shade of gold then they had to admit that his eyes matched his hair perfectly.

"_Gutentag _everyone. My name _ist_ Edvard Heidrich and I am your Alchemy teacher," he said slowly and handed the sheaf of papers to a girl sitting in the front. "Pass around the course syllabus and I vill explain vhat it is dat ve vill be doing dis year. Alchemy is not 'magic,' it is science. And since it is science there are many laws to be obey. De first two and most important are Equal Exchange and Providence. dese two laws rule everyt'ing that is Alchemy. People who try to vork outside these laws pay de price, usually vit' deir lives and the lives of ot'ers. Ve vill go into the laws more later." He scanned the classroom with his unnerving gold eyes. "If you vish to do vell in dis class I vill help you as much as I can. If you decide that you vant to not vork then I vill not be held responsible if you fail. By the end of dis year I vill expect all of you to be able to do at least half of what I vas able to do vhen I vas nine."

There was ripple of offense that passed throughout the students. Edward regarded them impassively, waiting for them to quiet. One girl put up her hand. He nodded in her direction.

"_Ja, frauline?"_

"Granger. Hermione Granger, Sir," she said, "I was wondering why you expect so little of us?"

Edward cracked an amused smile. "Expect little of you? It is the opposite, _Frauline_. Back home I am known as _genie_. Vhen I vas nine my_ Bruder_ and I had far passed many adults. Ven I vas twelve I vas the youngest Alchemist pass the State Alchemy exam and earned the rank of _major _in the _armee_. Trust me vhen I say dat dis _klasse_ vill not be simple." His expression was positively wicked. "Now. You all have a syllabus, _ja?_ _Gut_. As you can see there vill be tests every second veek on vhatever it vas ve had covered up to that point. There vill also be three essays, the topics I vill give you later. Feel lucky, _kinder_, that I am not permitted to teach as I vas taught. If everyone listens to instructions then no vone vill die." His grin grew evil, "I hope."

Another hand went up. "Is Alchemy really _that _dangerous?" asked the boy, his eyes wide.

"Alchemy is a sword vit' two blades," Edward said seriously. "The law of Equal Exchange knows nothing of good or bad, it just is. Equal Exchange means that in order to transmute somet'ing, somet'ing else of equal value must be given. It is much like the Law of Conservation of Mass. You cannot make mountain of a molehill and nothing truly is used up." He pulled out a blank piece of paper and sketched out an array on its surface with a black pen. "If you vish to make a crane from dis paper then some of de paper must be used." He touched the array with one finger and the black lines lit up. Paper moved and reshaped itself into a folded crane, detached from the excess material, a now much smaller sheet of paper. "Dis is basic. _Kinderspiel._ De paper used to make de crane was taken from de paper vit' de array on it. By de end of de mont' you may be able to do somet'ing like t'is. Ve vill see." He brushed crane and paper to the side and picked up the textbook labeled _Basic Alchemy_. "First ve vill be learning arrays and runes used. Turn to page _sieben_ and read until t'e chart."

The students scrambled for their books and flipped to the right page. Edward sat heavily in the chair behind his desk and reviewed the reading himself. Of course, he had already read it. He had read the entire book. It was a good text for beginners to use. Whoever had written it had done an exemplary job. The chart that they would be studying later had all the runes that were used in transmutation arrays from basic to forbidden. They all used the same runes, it was just the _way_ they were used that made some combinations less savory than others.

But they would not be learning enough to attempt anything of a high level. Certainly nothing that even came close to the forbidden.

Edward closed his textbook and watched the class. Every one of them was reading intently. The girl who had asked the first question, Hermione Granger, was already done, he noticed. Soon enough everyone else was done with the reading. Edward spoke again, staying seated this time. "Every transmutation requires an array, a transmutation circle if you vish. The arrays direct alchemical energy but practice is the only t'ing that will ensure correct transmutation. De chart in your book contains all of de ruins used in arrays from basic to complex. For next class I vant every vone of you to memorize the first ten."

"But next class is only in two days!" protested someone at the back.

"So vhat?" Edward asked calmly. "By the end of the veek you vill be required to know three different basic arrays and vill have to be able to draw at least one without reference. I am sure dat de homework for this _klasse_ vill seem much like an art _klasse_. Dere is much drawing involved and every array must be perfect or you vill be required to do it again," he nodded, ignoring the groans of complaint. "_Jetzt!_ Copy out de array found on page eleven onto a sheet of paper. Copy it perfectly. Vhen you have finished bring it to me and I vill tell you if you have done it correctly."

* * *

Many of the seventh year students were already complaining about how difficult Alchemy was by the time dinner came around. There were two classes for Alchemy, dividing the students into alternating days. On Friday both classes were combined for 'practical application.' The students who would have Alchemy the next day were nervous wrecks thanks to what the ones who had it earlier had to say about Professor Heidrich.

Edward did not care. It was not his job to coddle the children, it was his job to teach them basic transmutation. There was a lot to learn and only one year to learn it in. Besides, if he could do this when he could hardly read they should be able to do it when they are almost finished with their schooling.

"I've been hearing some pretty mean things about you, Edward," Tonks teased as she sat down.

"Oh?" Edward shot her a curious glance, "like vhat?"

"That you look like an angel but are even harsher than Severus was when it comes to classwork," she rested her head on a hand, propping her elbow on the table to stare at him.

Edward shrugged, "I am going easy on de babies. Dey should t'ank me."

Tonks laughed loud, slapping her thigh and grinning, "I like that attitude! I think I'll use it in my class."

"You are in the middle of var, I have been told," Edward smiled mischievously. "De vant to live is great den. Dey learn more."

"That's true," she agreed, sobering. "And it's my job to teach them to fight to survive."

Edward regarded the Defense professor with interest. "You vant help vit' dat?"

"What do you mean?"

"Vell, I am an _Oberst_ and I have been fighting for a long time. I know a trick or two," he said without any pride, just stating a fact.

"I have a period free tomorrow morning. How about you?" Tonks said, nodding slowly.

"_Ja._ All of my classes are after _mittagessen,_ so I have all morning free of appointment," he agreed "Talk more about this t'en?"

"I'll meet you at your classroom," Tonks agreed.

"_Bis morgen,"_ Edward nodded and smiled.

The pink-haired Defense professor laughed. "You know, Edward, you really have to work on your English."

The blond Alchemist shrugged. "_Ja._ I know. But I started learning _Englisch_ two mont's ago. I never t'ought I vould have to leave Amestris until t'e _Generalmajor_ assigned me here."

"Why you? Aren't you a bit young to be teaching? Especially if you only just started learning English?"

Edward cracked another smile. He knew exactly why Mustang had assigned him here, in the middle of a war. "_Generalmajor_ Mustang has been my..." he frowned, searching for the word, "boss? _Nein. _Superior?"

"Superior Officer?"

"_Ja!_ Superior Officer. _Generalmajor_ Mustang has been my Superior Officer since I joined the _armee_ and he knows dat I vas tired of doing nothing but paper-signing."

"Paperwork?"

Edward shrugged, "Vhatever. He knew I was tired so he sent me here. T'ought it would do me _gut_."

"But we're in the middle of a war here. Isn't it a bit dangerous?"

That had been exactly why Mustang had sent him. There was no one in the entire military that was more stubborn or destructive as Edward Elric was wont to be when the mood struck him. Edward laughed softly, "T'at is vhy he sent _mich_."

* * *

Tonks rapped on the door to Edward's office the next morning. She looked around the classroom, taking in the artful arrays that were drawn up on the chalk boards. It looked like any other classroom, innocent and easy to dismiss. It was strange to think that the hardest subject offered was taught in this room.

The door opened and Edward stood aside to let her in. His office was neat, papers and books in orderly piles, nothing out of place. It was nothing like what she had expected from someone so young. She remembered what it had been like at his age. She still had yet to outgrow the urge to leave things in a disarray. Edward offered her a chair, which she accepted, and sat down behind his desk.

"_Guten Morgen Frau _Tonks," he greeted amiably.

"Good morning," Tonks said back. "How do you keep your office so neat?"

Edward blinked. "_Zu entschuldigen?_ Term has only just started. I don't have anyt'ing to make a mess vit'. Only lesson plans."

"Still...." She shrugged. "Anyways, how are you doing?"

"_Sehr gut, danke._ And you?"

"Curious," Tonks admitted. "What is it that you do in the military?"

"Now? Sign papers," he quirked a smile. "Before? Fought against the last _Fuhrer_ in the civil var that he started vhen he was trying to... change the vorld. Before that? Research." Change the world? No. Sacrifice the country and use its people's souls to make a Philosopher's Stone? Yes. But she did not need to know that little bit of Amestrian trivia. Few people did.

"You've already fought in a war?"

"_Ja._ Vhen I vas six-ten."

"Sixteen," she corrected. "By the way, how did you learn English in such a short time?"

Edward shrugged. "Read a dictionary and grammar book. Not _perfekt_ but de _Generalmajor_ did not give me time to take lesson."

Tonks blinked at the boy sitting across from her. "You learned English by reading a dictionary? What are you, some sort of genius?"

He looked at her, his eyes hooded with amusement. "Dat is what people call me. _Genie._" He shook his head and grimaced.

Tonks let the subject drop, feeling somewhat uncomfortable with the look of self-loathing that passed across Edward's face. Something was bothering him, she could tell, but it was not something she wanted to touch. So she dove head first into what she had come to talk to him about. "Last night. Last night you mentioned working together to teach these kids to fight. That sounds like a great idea but I have no idea what kind of things you can do with your Alchemy that you could teach the kids."

Now Edward smirked and laughed. "I vas not taught to fight vit' Alchemy, _Frau_ Tonks. My teacher taught my _Bruder_ and I to fight vit' our hands before she taught us Alchemy. I got into the _armee _after I got past the _Fuhrer's_ bodyguards and had him looking down the tip of a blade during the third text. If anything I could teach de babies how to duck and run properly."

"That could be helpful," Tonks agreed. "Ducking and running are a big part of fighting after all."

"_Das stimmt,"_ he nodded. "In many fights dat vas the t'ing that kept me alive."

"Same here."

"_Zu entschuldigen,_ but vhat did you do before you came to teach here?" Edward asked curiously.

"I'm an Auror. I specialize in fighting the Dark Arts," she said proudly.

"Interesting," Edward said sincerely. "I'll vager that there are not many vomen in your line of vork, are there?"

Tonks shook her head, "Not really. Why? Is it the same in the military?"

"Somevhat," he smiled. "It is not somet'ing many vomen go for. I admire vomen who can do it and not feel dat dey need to be like men."

"It is hard to do," Tonks agreed, sitting back in her chair. "What about you, Edward? Why did you join the military?"

Edward's golden eyes locked with hers for a brief second before he smiled and looked away. "I vanted to get into deir libraries," he said truthfully with a chuckle. "Dere are some libraries in Amestris dat are open only to _armee_ officers. If I vas a State Alchemist den I vould have access to dem."

Tonks stared at him. She could not believe his reason. Who joined the military to get into a library? She asked him just that. Again he shrugged that eloquent shrug that said everything and nothing at the same time.

"Someone who vants to so more research dan he could before," was his even more enigmatic answer.

* * *

Edward once more stood before his class. This would be their second class with him and now he was lecturing about the different types of arrays. He drew them up on the chalkboard with practiced ease. Even though it had been six years since he had seen The Truth, the _Wahrheit,_ and surpassed the need to draw the array before transmutations he still knew them like the backs of his mismatched hands. It was hard to forget something you had been studying for most of your life.

"So, as you can see t'e arrays that deal with plants have softer angles t'an the arrays for fire," he said, pointing to the elegantly curving lines of the botanical array and the sharper lines of the array that decorated the backs of Mustang's Pyrotex gloves.

"Sir," It was Hermione Granger, "What is that lizard for?"

"T'is?" he pointed to the salamander in the fire array. "T'is is salamander. Does everyone know it?" A couple of the students shook their heads so Edward explained, "T'e salamander is a creature of fire whose skin can resist flames. T'e symbol used in t'is array it protects Alchemist against big rebound. It is found in every high-level fire array, but not in t'e lower level arrays because t'e lower level arrays are used differently." he erased the arrays on the chalk board and drew two new fire arrays along with Mustang's array. "T'is one here is most basic. It is used to start small fires vit' only spark. T'is one here can be used to move flames about, bending t'em t'rough t'e air to t'e Alchemist's will. T'is last one is used to t'row spark to a certain place and use t'at spark to create an explosion. T'is one is used most by t'e _Generalmajor_ Mustang, my Superior Officer." he rolled his eyes at the chalkboard and turned back to the class. "Fire is very difficult element to transmute because it is _flüchtig,_ ah... dangerous? _Nein. Ach!_ Volatile. It is very volatile," he nodded seriously, folding his arms, "Alchemists who vork vit' fire usually have not studied any other type of array. It is t'at difficult to control. Most who try fire get burned most seriously. _Generalmajor_ Mustang is an _ausnahme,_ an exception. And he is very skilled vit' fire."

Another hand went up. "If fire is so dangerous then why do people try to use it?"

Edward quirked a smile. "Because it is so dangerous is exactly vhy t'ey vant to learn. Vould you rat'er fight vit' a cannon or vit' a knife? Bot' can kill but the cannon kills more from safe distance. _Generalmajor_ Mustang has fought in two large vars and in bot' he vas one of the strongest men because of his skill vit' fire. If you can manage fire Alchemy then you can be very dangerous," he shook his head, "Maybe one of these days I vill show you all vhat fire Alchemy looks like. But not today."

He turned back to the chalkboard and erased the fire arrays, "Vhile fire Alchemy is impressive and dangerous, it is not very trustvordy. If it is raining a spark vill not stay and you cannot do anyt'ing halfway. It either burns or it does not," he drew some more arrays on the board, "These arrays vork with stone. Notice the simple flow of lines. T'ere is no need for v_ortäuschung,_ for pretense, vit' stone. It is constant solid and vhatever you see is exactly vhat there is. Stone Alchemy shapes, it makes things. Vhen my_ Bruder _and I first started learning Alchemy ve vould vork vit' paper and stone since t'at vas vhat ve had. Ve Vould make little toys to show our _Mutter_. Vhen ve trained under our teacher ve learned to use stone as veapons. I still use stone in fights because it is everyvhere. It is t'e ground, it is t'e buildings, it is vhat people use to live vit'. T'is makes it very useful." he bent down and chalked an array onto the floor and touched it with a single finger. The stone rose up, shaping itself into a beautiful Grecian pedestal. "_Kinderspiel._ Basic reshaping of t'e elements. By t'e end of t'e month all of you vill be able to do basic reshaping."

* * *

Edward was lying on his bed late one evening when there was a tapping at his window. Confused, since he knew he was several stories from the ground, he got up and unlatched it so he could see what it was that was tapping. An owl fluttered in and came to a landing on his bed. It had dropped a letter on his pillow.

"Hello you," Edward said quietly in his native tongue, not wanting to startle the bird. "What are you doing here?" he slowly moved closer, his hand out entreatingly. The owl regarded him curiously. Its head tilted to a ninety degree angle before it walked gingerly onto Edward's automail hand. The Alchemist held his breath, carefully moving back to the window to set to bird outside. The last thing he wanted was a scared animal in his rooms. He launched the owl into the night sky and quickly closed the window behind it.

With one last confused glance out the window Edward walked across his room and picked up the bundle of letters that the bird had deposited on his pillow. One from Major General Mustang, one from his secretary and one from Alphonse. He broke the seal on the one from Mustang first. Best get the tedious over and done with as soon as possible.

_To: Colonel Edward Elric, Fullmetal Alchemist_

_From: Major General Roy Mustang, Flame Alchemist_

_Subject: Notice_

_Fullmetal,_

_Situation has changed somewhat. Informants report Dark Lord himself moving closer to your position. Just an advance warning. Try not to get into unnecessary trouble. Will send further instructions at a later date._

_Major General Roy Mustang, Flame Alchemist_

Edward frowned. He had not expected word like this for several months yet. From all of the reports he had read on the Dark Lord Voldemort the man was something of a coward, relying on others, his Death Eaters, to do all of the dirty work while he reaped the glory. Why was he moving closer to the school already? He shook his head and reached for the letter from his secretary. Why he had a secretary he did not know, but he had one anyways.

_To: Colonel Edward Elric, Fullmetal Alchemist_

_From: First Lieutenant Friedrich Schmidt_

_Subject: memo_

_Sir,_

_Reminder that even though you are out of the country and holding down a teaching position, that does not exempt you from your annual assessment. You only have less than one month. Don't slack off. I hear the Major General is going to pick the method._

_First Lieutenant Friedrich Schmidt_

He groaned. He hated the time when his assessment came around. Every year he had to jump though that hoop just to stay in the military. Granny and Winry were probably right, it was too much trouble to go through to do something he did not like. Then again, they did not know that Edward had grown used to working inside the military. He had been an officer for so long that he did not know what he would do if he was a civilian. He reached for the letter from his brother.

_Edward,_

_How are you doing Brother? Are you really all the way over in England now? How do you like teaching? If you need anything just let me know. Winry and Granny are doing good. Since you left Winry's been complaining that you don't know how to take proper care of your automail. I keep telling her that you've been doing it by yourself for years but she won't listen. I think she's just worried about you. _

_I just got back from visiting Sig Curtis. He's been really lonely since Teacher died. I made sure to lay some flowers on her grave for you and tell her what you were doing. I just hope that where ever she is now that she's not sick anymore. _

_I got a cat a couple days ago. He's orange with white socks. He's so cute! I can't wait until you can come back home so I can introduce you two. He and Den get along quite well. Winry didn't think they would like each other but they do! Isn't that great?_

_Tell me all about this school you're teaching at. Write soon._

_Alphonse_

"Oh Alphonse," Edward shook his head, smiling at the letter. "It's a good thing you've moved in with Granny and Winry. At least now you can afford to take care of a cat."


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

**Kinderspiel**

Edward frowned. Mustang's next letter arrived the next week at breakfast. It was three pages long, detailing the known movements of the Dark Lord and his loyal minions briefly. Whoever Mustang had as a mole was quite good at his job, if the information was correct. He flipped through the pages, absently eating as he read. He pushed his reading glasses further up his nose before flipping back to the first page, checking something he missed. With a slight shake of his head he berated himself for not being any better in the mornings.

Down in the mass that was the student body many of the female students were near swooning. Long gold hair, tailored clothing, reading glasses, eyes like the sun? What was there not to swoon over? Then there was the air of mystery around him as well. No one had ever seen him take off his coat or gloves, the only skin he ever showed was from the neck up. Rumors had already started as to the reason why. Edward did not even notice until it was pointed out to him. For a professed genius he was stubbornly unperceptive when it came to his effect on people.

"Hey Edward," Tonks said, slapping his shoulder and breaking him out of the report. Edward looked up at the woman, blinking. "What are you reading there? I can't read a word of it. Is it in German?"

"_Ja. _It is a report t'at vas sent to me to look over," he shrugged, took off his glasses and put the report face down on the table. "And _ja,_ it is in German. Vhy?"

"No reason, you just looked so interested in it. What's it on, or is that military business," she raised an eyebrow.

Edward smiled, "_Armee_ business, I'm sorry. I may be in England now but t'e people from home von't leave me alone. Vork and responsibility, you understand?"

"Aren't you a little young to be hounded by the office?" she teased, starting in on her own breakfast.

He laughed. "_Frau_ Tonks, I vas never so young, not since after my_ Mutter_ died. Doing vork like t'is is easy now compared to vhen I first enlisted, practice and all t'at. _Nein,_ the interesting section vill be trying to keep my skills _scharf_ for my_ Einschätzung."_

Several female students almost fainted from shock and pleasure. Professor Heidrich was smiling! He was laughing!

Tonks paused long enough to shoot him a confused glance. "Your what?"

"_Einschätzung."_ he said again and frowned, trying to remember the correct word. "Estimation? It is vhen myvork is tested to make sure I have not become useless. I cannot remember correct vord," he frowned.

"Sounds like an assessment to me."

"_Ja!_ That is t'e vord!" Edward slapped the table lightly and grinned, _"Danke Frau _Tonks."

"You're welcome," she said carelessly. "It's not a problem. So you have to keep studying for this Assessment? When is it?"

Edward patted his pockets, looking for the memo from his secretary. He found it in one of the inside pockets of his red coat. "Ah... vone mont'. T'e date vill be sent to me later by either my _Sekretär _or the _Generalmajor_."

"One month? That's not that long," Tonks furrowed her eyebrows, frowning a little. "That's not a long time away."

"It matters not," Edward said confidently. "It is _Förmlichkeit _for me, a hoop to jump through. I am too skilled for t'em to not vant." That was true enough. None of the higher-ups wanted to loose the genius that was Edward Elric, even if he was an insubordinate snot and the only person he would listen to was Mustang. And even then it was usually a fight.

"Then why do you have to do it?"

"Because I am field soldier, Alchemist, not desk _Oberst_. I have to be able to fight." He cracked a grin, looking positively wicked. "And t'e only people t'ey vill send to test me are other strong Alchemists... like _Generalmajor_ Mustang."

"I take it you don't much like this Mustang character," Tonks observed with a wry smile.

"_Generalmajor_ Mustang is _lästig._ If I am allowed to hit him I vill not say _nein."_

Tonks laughed, greatly amused at the look of unholy glee on Edward's face. No matter how adult Edward Heidrich seemed it was obvious he still retained something of a child in him if the idea of being able to hit someone made him that happy. He may claim that he had never been as young as his students but somewhere, deep down, he was painfully simple, childishly innocent. She wondered what had trauma happened to him that had forced him to grow up so quickly.

* * *

_Alphonse,_

_You would not believe some of the things I have seen at this school already. The stairs move as if they have a will of their own, as do the portraits that are hung on the walls. There are even doors with personalities! It's taking me some time to get used to all of this. And the 'magic' they are taught here defies all of the Laws. I don't know how they do it but I don't want to try it either. What if the Truth demands an exchange? Don't want to go through that again. _

_The teaching is pretty interesting. I can't teach these kids like Teacher taught us. I think if I bruised them I'd be sent home! They're in the middle of a war yet they still coddle the kids! I don't understand them. But I'm going to be working with another one of the teachers, Miss Tonks, to teach them how to survive an altercation. That should be interesting. _

_The Alchemy I'm teaching them is the stuff we were doing when we were five! It's so basic I'm almost sleeping through the classes. They still can't draw arrays properly and hardly any of them are grasping Equivalent Exchange or Providence at all! This magic stuff is warping their minds seriously. One of these days it's going to come back and bite them when they're down. I mean, there should be no way that they can change a desk into a pig! Honestly, one of these days..._

_Anyways, I've been doing well. Feeling a little bored and I'm missing every one back home, even everyone at the office! Thanks for the letter, by the way. _

_So you got a cat? At least now you have a home and can afford to take care of it. Tell Winry that I'm doing just fine and so is my automail. If I have any problems I'll tell her right away, and that's a promise. _

_Tell everyone that I said Hello._

_Edward_

Edward checked over the letter and nodded. He had deliberately mentioned nothing about his secondary mission to take out Voldemort when the time came. If Alphonse knew about that then he would worry far too much. Plus, no matter how much he trusted his younger brother he was not cleared for the information and if he knew nothing about it then he was in less danger. And Edward would do anything to keep his precious people safe, even lie to them.

He had a class in a couple of minutes, he remembered. They were to take a test today, on runes and arrays. Identify some runes and draw an array. Simple. Nothing frightening about that. He had even given them the weekend to study. What a nice teacher he was! But he should probably start writing the questions down on the chalkboard if he wanted to get a head start on them.

So, thusly encouraged, he got to his feet and started writing directions on the chalkboard. He made sure to keep his handwriting neat and frowned over his poor English. Speaking was one matter, writing was another entirely. Unlike what he was used to there were many different spelling rules to English that there was not in German, and even more exceptions. It was a language that was waiting to be cursed.

By the time the students started trickling in he was only three fifths of the way though. He waved them to their seats and continued. By the time he had finished writing all of the directions and questions on the board every one had arrived.

"_Gutentag_ everyone," he said turning around and sliding into the chair behind his desk. "Take out sheet of _papier_ and answer t'e qvestions on t'e chalkboard. You have half an hour. Timing starts now." There was a swelling of confused complaints as Edward continued. "Anyone found _schwindeln_ or copying answers vill be asked to leave t'e room for t'e rest of t'e testing time and vill receive a failure. Any qvestions? _Gut._" he took out a blank sheet of paper and uncapped his own pen and started writing in neat code.

_To: Major General Roy Mustang, Flame Alchemist_

_From: Colonel Edward Elric, Fullmetal Alchemist_

_Subject: Mission Report_

_Major General,_

_Operations proceeding well here. Teaching going as scheduled. All classes are in the latter part of the day. I will be working with the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Miss Tonks, on preparing these children for confrontations in the mornings. During the rest of the day I have nothing finite scheduled. This time, I plan, will be used to scout the area and strengthen the meager defenses that I have noted already. _

_No one here has mentioned the movement of the Dark Lord. There has been nothing in the newspapers and nothing has been said in any conversation that I have been privy to overhear. _

"_Ja?"_ Edward looked up from his report as a girl near the back raised her hand.

"I'm sorry sir," she said, "but what does number thirteen say? I can't read it."

Edward looked back to the chalkboard. "T'ree-ten? Explain t'e importance of t'e laws of Alchemy."

"Thank you, Sir."

Edward nodded and went back to his writing after scanning the class carefully.

_One of the young girls in my class has been mentioned in reports concerning the Potter boy. Neither he nor the other boy, Ronald Weasley, are attending Hogwarts this year. I presume that they have taken it upon themselves to track the Dark Lord. I will try to ascertain whether or not Granger is still in contact with them._

"_Herr_ Valters, vould you please hand me your test and step outside," he said, not looking up.

"Me?" the boy in question squeaked indignantly.

"_Ja._ You. Now or I vill escort you to the hall myself." Edward's gaze flicked up and irritation darkened his eyes dangerously. Walters quailed and did as he had been directed. "Tventy points from Slyt'erin and I vill see you tonight for detention."

_If it is at all possible I would like to request background checks on the following people:_

_Flanagan, Thomas_

_Smith, Ann _

_Tonks, Nymphadora_

_Colonel Edward Elric, Fullmetal Alchemist _

Edward read it over, looking for any errors before folding the report and laying it atop his letter to Alphonse. Now that that was done with he sat back in his chair, propped his feet up on his desk, and tucked his hands behind his head. For all intents and purposes he looked like he was taking a nap.

"_Frauline_ Saunders, bring your test here and join _Herr_ Valters in the hall. Tventy points from Gryffindor and detention tonight vit' me," he sighed, rubbing between his eyes as he felt the beginnings of a headache. What made them think they could get away with cheating? It was a good thing he had Tonks cast that cheating-detecting spell for him. Gave him an unexpected edge.

At last the time was up. Edward stretched and got to his feet. He instructed everyone to pass their tests forwards and he collected them from the first in every row. He spent a moment to flip through the sheets, glancing over the answers. He shook his head.

"I vill have t'ese back to you next _klasse_. Open your text books to page tventy and read until t'e end of t'e chapter." He lay the tests on his desk and called Walters and Saunders in from the hall. He waved them back to their desks then sat down again. It took them to the end of the alloted time for the class to finished the reading. Edward had almost marked all of the tests by the time the bell chimed, excusing them to their next class.

* * *

It was after dinner, after all of the students had gone to bed and the teachers had retired for the night, that Edward slipped out of the castle. He took a lantern with him and a pack of matches to light the wick once he was inside the forest. There was no need to alert the people of the castle that he was wandering about in the night. He did not want nor need the attention.

It was a moonless night and there were clouds in the sky. Edward almost regretted choosing this night for this expedition. It was never fun to traipse around in the dark of the month. The moonless sky seemed to dim even the stars on the best of times. With the clouds as well Edward had a feeling that his little lantern would not do him much good. Nevertheless once he had slid across the grounds and was well into the tree line he pulled out the small box of matches and lit the lamp.

The thin stream of light only made the forest seem even more intimidating. If Edward had been anyone else, if he had not faced the worst of sins and evils, he might have had second thoughts about going any further. But he was Edward Elric, Fullmetal Alchemist, Hero of the People and there was no way he was going to act the coward and turn back. So he pressed forward, pushing aside branches and bushes that were in his path. He did not know what he was looking for, but he marked the trees carefully so he could find his way back. He had heard some pretty wild stories about this forest from rumors the students passed around to casual mentions from the teachers. He doubted any of them could be true. Giant spiders, sentient automobiles, centaurs and unicorns? Come on! Who in the world would believe tall tales like those?

Something large and canine howled in the distance.

The night before he had had Walters and Saunders working off their detention. He had each of them writing, without any resources, on what exactly Providence meant to Alchemy. They had come up with some of the strangest answers, deciding for Edward what the topic of his next lecture was going to be on. Needless to say, they knew practically nothing about Providence. Had nothing he said sunk in?

And why was he traipsing around the Forbidden Forest in the dark of night? To find Voldemort or any whisper about his whereabouts? Find the Potter boy? Get some relief from Cabin Fever? All of the above, if he could.

In the meantime Edward was really wishing he had brought a heavier coat. Britain was not as clement as Amestris. It was colder and rained far too often for his tastes. Why people would settle on an island that was so... wet was beyond his comprehension. But he wasn't outside in the middle of the night to complain about the weather. The further into the forest he went the darker it got and the less light his lantern threw until all that was illuminated was a thin line that only extended four feet ahead of him. With a muttered curse he cast about for something else he could use. Nothing that would make a lasting torch. Sure there was plenty of wood but had you ever tried to use a plain burning stick as a torch? It did not burn _that _well.

Something caught his eye. It looked like... the eyes of an animal.

* * *

Edward sighed and hid a yawn behind a gloved hand. He had forgone wearing his red coat today but had refused to part with his silver-trimmed black over-shirt to cover his arms. He had also only taken the time to pull his hair up into a ponytail rather than take the effort to braid it. Last night had been an illuminating adventure for the young Colonel, one that he rather hoped he would not have to repeat any time soon.

"Didn't sleep well?" asked Professor Sprout sympathetically.

Edward shrugged. "Had a lot to t'ink on," he said with another yawn, then joked, "Not as young as I used to be."

"Boy," laughed the jolly Herbologist, "if you're old then what am I?"

"Still young and filled vit' energy," he cracked a smile. "It vas cold last night in my rooms. I do not sleep vell anymore in cold." Flat out lie. Well, maybe not, but it certainly was misleading. True, his scars and automail ports did ache in the cold but that had nothing to do with his lack of sleep. But it was not like he was about to bandy about the fact he had been outdoors in the Forbidden Forest until just before dawn. That might garner a couple raised eyebrows in his direction, attention that he really did not want. Even when he was fresh in the military and new to the status of State Alchemist he knew better than to blow his cover in the middle of an operation. True, he had been more of a hot head back then and it had taken all Alphonse had to keep him quiet some times, but that was then and he had grown since then.

"Oh? Perhaps you should ask Thomas to brew you up a sleeping potion," she suggested.

"_Nein, danke._ I vould radder not," he shook his head and came up with another misdirection. "My _Doktor_ has said not to take anyt'ing that might interfere vit' t'e medication I have to take for old injuries." Very old injuries but the only thing he had to do about them were make sure they stayed oiled and clean. Nothing to interfere with there. Ah, working under Mustang had taught him some interesting evasive maneuvers.

"Oh?" Sprout was too polite to push the subject but it was clear she wanted to know more. Edward did not offer anything.

"Morning all!"

Edward turned a baleful eye on the all to cheery Tonks. She sat down in her seat and smiled at everyone, helping herself to breakfast.

"Vhere did you find _kaffee?" _he asked, feeling just a little bitter.

"Coffee?" she raised an eyebrow, "What's that? A muggle thing?"

Now Edward just stared at her. What sort of people did not have coffee? Had the Major General sent him here for some sort of torture? No, he could not let that get to him. It would be simple enough for him to make coffee himself. All he needed was the proper elements.

That was easy enough.

"Never mind, _Frau_ Tonks." He sighed, reaching around the table for what he figured would be appropriate ingredients. A pitcher of hot chocolate, a pot of tea, and a mug. Sprout and Tonks watched, confused and somewhat revolted, as he poured the tea into the chocolate until it was nearing the brim of the pitcher. He clapped his hands together and gabbed the jug. Blue light flared up as he transmuted the mixture into the drink that would save his day and life.

Chemical dependence? Not a chance.

Steam rose from the newly made concoction and with it a scent that melted Edward's annoyed expression. He quickly poured himself a mug full and dumped in several teaspoons of sugar. Without waiting for it to cool he downed it in one great swallow. A look of pure bliss washed over his haggered face.

"What is that?" Tonks asked, sniffing curiously.

"_Kaffee,"_ Edward sighed, filling another helping. "T'at _wunderbar_ drink t'at keeps most of the people in my_ büro_ alive and vorking."

"Is it any good?"

"_Wunderbar."_

"Can I try some?"

Edward even poured her a glass full, he was feeling that much better. He suggested she add cream and sugar to combat the bitterness. She took a sip and grimaced.

"What is this made of?" she asked, spitting it back into the mug.

Edward downed his third helping and poured a fourth. "Ground _Kaffee_. It takes getting used to." He started in on his fourth helping slower, sipping and savoring the flavor. "T'e only reason vhy I started drinking it is because it vakes you up. Very helpful vhen paper-signing makes you sleep."

"Don't know how you can drink so much of that stuff." Tonks wrinkled her nose at him. Edward shrugged. The pink-haired professor went on. "By the way, are you free this morning, second period?"

"Vhy? Vant me to vork vit' the babies?" he shot her a half smile over the rim of his mug.

"Thought we might start today," she nodded.

"I vill go easy on them. Not too many vill get injured." His smile turned into a wicked smirk. "Dat is, if dey are fast enough."

* * *

Edward sat next to a pile of rocks that was almost as high as he was tall and even wider at the base. He had spent the first hour when the students were in classes to collect them by hand, wanting time to spend on thinking rather than dwelling. Last night had been illuminating, to say the least, when it came to what lived around this 'magic' stuff.

First he had run into something that looked like a giant wolf. Thankfully the creature had left him alone but right after that had come the even larger spiders. There was something terribly wrong when spiders grew to be bigger than large dogs and closer to the size of draft horses. It had taken him a good hour to clean out the nest of those disgusting creatures and an even longer bath once he did manage to get back to the castle.

It had been on the way back that he had met a group of what he had decided were man-horse chimeras on crack. He had stumbled into the middle of their... herd? After several initial mishaps and something about how the moons of Jupiter had predicted something he was supposedly going to do they let him go. Good thing too, since he was just about ready to see if he could split them into their base species just as a way to vent his irritation. For people who were half horse they sure had an inflated image of themselves. Toss in the fact that Edward was filthy and tired it was a miracle that they survived detaining him.

He should get a medal for self-restraint.

But that was last night. Now here he was, hyped up on a couple of liters of caffeine and waiting to work off some of the energy that had been building thanks to his morning coffee binge. Tonks had said she'd bring the babies down after she had taken attendance and that should be soon.

Sure enough, here they came.

Edward hauled himself to his feet and dusted off his pants and hands. He flicked his long braid over his shoulder and scratched his nose, resisting the urge to laugh evilly. He was not there to scare the babies out of their uniforms. That would just be mean spirited.

Once they had gathered in a loose group before him he began speaking. _"Guten morgen,"_ he said, hands shove carelessly into his pockets. "If you do not know who I am, I am t'e Alchemy teacher. _Frau_ Tonks has asked me to help vit' today's lesson on practical Defense. Today ve are learning how to dodge." He picked up a rock and started tossing up into the air and catching it idly. "T'ese rocks vill be like your spells. If you cannot dodge t'e rock t'en you have been hit vit' a spell. I vill not take it easy on you. If you get hit you vill be hurt. So best not get hit." And now he allowed his grin to take on a sadistic tint. Intimidate them right off and they would take him seriously. There was a confused murmur ripple through the group of students and Edward looked around sharply, his golden eyes catching the light and glowing. "Any qvestions?"

"What are you going to do with the rocks? Why use rocks?" asked a boy in the back.

Edward closed his eyes, "_Idiot_." He sighed. "T'ink of t'ese rocks like spells. You get hit vit' a spell you suffer results, _ja?_ Same vit' rocks."

"Yeah, but why don't you just use spells?" asked another boy.

"Because," Edward sniffed, "I do not use your magic. I am Alchemist. I do not t'ink t'at anyvone here could last in a fight vit' me. _Frau_ Tonks, decide who goes _erste."_

The poor students were run into the ground by the time their class was over. Edward had pitched rocks at them, one at a time, forcing them to dodge, run, roll, and generally get filthy. And they still had another class before they were let out for lunch. He almost felt a pang of sympathy for them. Almost.

Too bad he was feeling heartless now that the coffee had worn off.

* * *

Edward scowled. He was tired, had a headache the size of Mustang's ego and desperately wanted to beat something senseless. Unfortunately he could not get any sleep yet, had nothing for the headache and had no one to beat on. It was terrible.

"Who," He said, looking around his class with narrowed eyes, "can tell me vhat 'Providence' means?"

Hermione's hand shot up. He nodded, permitting her to speak. "Providence is the law of Alchemy that governs what things are made of. Only things of similar elements can be transmuted into what the alchemist wants."

"Ten points to Gryffindor. So, vorking under t'at law if I vanted to make glass vhat vould I need to use?"

Hermione's hand went up again. He waited for another person to volunteer. A girl near the windows tentatively raised her hand as well when it was apparent that he was not going to call on Hermione again. He nodded in her direction. "Isn't glass made from sand?"

"_Ja_ that is exactly it. Ten points to Ravenclaw. And sand is in the same _kategorie_ as stone. Knowing t'at, vhat array should ve use?"

"One for stone?" ventured a boy in the second row. Edward cracked a smile.

"It is obvious, is it not?" he almost laughed and reached into his desk for a bag of sand he had left in there just for this demonstration. "In order for a transmutation to vork t'e alchemist must understand t'e process in vhich somet'ing is created. T'ere are t'ree basic steps to transmutation: Understanding, deconstruction and reconstruction," he chalked out an array on the desk top and poured the sand over it. He touched the edge and the lines of the array and the sand glowed a soft blue before moving to reshape, melting and molding it to his will. In seconds there was an elegant, clear glass fluted vase sitting where the sand had been.

Edward continued. "Because of t'e laws I could not make this _vase_ from vood or vater... vell," he corrected himself, " I could, but it vould only be _eis_ and vould not last long." There was a spattering of laughter and he continued. "Today ve are going to start using t'e transmutation arrays ve have learned. I vant everyone to come here and receive a bag of sand. Ve vill be making glass today."

The students filed up to the front of the classroom and each received a small bag of fine sand. Edward circulated amongst the desks to make sure they were all using the proper array. He had to correct one or three arrays for the students so they did not have to get too frustrated, wondering why it would not work for them. By the end of the period only three of the students were able to coax any sort of reaction from the array and only one was able to melt the sand into an odd-looking lump.

Not very promising. In fact, it had Edward stumped. Why could they not do it? For him it was as simple as breathing, in some ways simpler. Making glass was basic! Melt the sand and shape the result. Didn't they even know how to make glass? This was pathetic!

This was something he would have to discuss with some of the other professors, to get a better feel of how they did their 'magic' stuff and maybe find a better way to describe how to do a transmutation.

In the mean time he had some research to do in the library here. He had heard of it but had not yet had the opportunity to peruse its resources. It took him the better part of half an hour to find the expansive room. As was the ethos of the halls of Hogwarts they were somehow intelligent enough to confuse any poor soul that was not used to their shenanigans. Edward did not think he would ever get used to them. There were just some things that architecture was not supposed to be able to do!

When he did manage to locate the library he pushed his way in quietly. He had been inside all sorts of libraries and had had the proper etiquette beaten into his head at a very young age. Books held a higher status in his mind than most people he had come across. Nerdish as it was to admit that, it was true.

Then again, books usually did not try to kill you, that was people. And Homunculi. Never trust a homunculus, they were always plotting something wicked and dastardly, it was a fact.

But as far as Edward knew there were no Homunculi here at Hogwarts, just the books. And now it was time for him to find out just what sort of things they had in their library!


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

**Not a Drinking Man... Usually**

Dinner was proceeding as usual. Students were chattering up a storm and professors were discussing matters of importance amongst themselves. Edward was despondently pushing his food around with his fork, so many thoughts running through his mind that he was having trouble thinking. Tonks and Sprout had tried to obtain his attention, but to no avail.

And what had the alchemical genius so preoccupied? A number of things, actually. He was trying to figure out how to explain the transmutation process in such a way that would be beneficial to his struggling students. He was turning over everything he had heard on the Dark Lord. He was wondering where that Potter boy had gotten off to. He was wondering what this year's assessment format was to be. He was wondering why all the girls started twittering like fools whenever he passed. He was wondering what was going on back home...

And the problem was that he was wondering all of these at the exact same time!

Edward sighed and glanced down at his cold dinner. This had to be the longest amount of time that he had ever been separated from Alphonse since his younger brother had been born. They had spent their entire lives together, parted only for mere moments, days at the very most. Alphonse had tailed him on so many missions that he had almost gotten accidentally put onto the military payrolls. That had been an amusing slip up in the secretarial ladder that still had Edward chuckling and Alphonse blushing. The younger Elric brother was terribly honest, almost to a fault, meanwhile the elder was underhanded enough to cheat those deserving of being cheated. But only the deserving, mainly the people who tried to exploit the common people. And it was that habit that gained him the unofficial title of Hero of the People, a rare thing for a State Alchemist, someone sworn to do the bidding of the military.

Edward may be a Dog of the Military but there was only one person that could call the shots and the entire Army knew it. But even Mustang knew his limits.

Something caught the attention of a couple students. They pointed up to somewhere around the ceiling calling attention to the lone bird that fluttered in through a window and headed straight for Edward. It deposited a plain white envelope beside his plate and landed in a flurry of feathers beside his goblet. Edward pushed his plate towards the messenger bird and picked up the letter as the owl picked over his untouched meal. One glance at the return address told him who it was from.

"Who's that from, Edward?" Tonks asked, leaning closer to get a better look.

Edward opened the letter with a sinking feeling of dread. _"M_y_ mechaniker,"_ he winced. Winry was going to kill him for forgetting to say goodbye before he left the country.

"Your what?"

"A friend," he waved a gloved hand and frowned at the letter.

_Dear Edward,_

_Alphonse and the people at your office say that you're in England! What are you doing there? Why didn't you tell me you were leaving? Why didn't you say goodbye? Honestly! Can you get any more irresponsible. They say that you are teaching. Is that true? Somehow I can't see you teaching. Don't you dare kill any of your students!! I saw how you and Alphonse were when you got back from staying with the Curtis's._

_I've sent some instructions that might come in handy if you have any problems with your automail. DON'T YOU DARE TRY TRANSMUTING IT!! If anything bad happens send for me! I'm sure the army can arrange to get me to this school you're teaching at. _

_By the way, Alphonse won't mention this but I think you might like to know anyways. He's been really down lately. This is the longest you two have been apart, isn't it? He's been doing nothing but studying and playing with Pacchi – that's his kitten. I think it's because it's getting to... that time of year, isn't it? Edward, be strong._

_Don't do anything stupid._

_Winry_

Edward shook his head. There was no less than five double-sided pages of handwritten instructions, complete with diagrams. She really was a helpless automail nut.

He flipped through the instructions, scanning everything once before folding it up and tucking them and the letter into a pocket. He shooed the owl away and sat back in his chair, smiling slightly at his mangled meal. He'd have to write back and tell Winry he was doing well and all that kind of stuff. No way was it possible that he would ever tell her what he was actually here for. She did not need him to help her with excuses to worry about him, she did that well enough on her own.

He snorted at the thought. If there was one thing Winry excelled at – other than automail mechanics and surgery – it was worrying about him and Alphonse. She had a real knack for that.

"News from home?" Tonks asked curiously.

Edward shrugged. "It is from my friend, Vinry. She vants to know vhy I an in England. Can't see me as a teacher, says I am too hard on people," he cracked a smile. "I'll have to tell her t'at I have been very kind to the babies."

"Kind!" Tonks snorted. "You ran my class into the ground!"

"Not my fault if dey are out of shape," Edward shrugged, grinning mischievously.

* * *

It was near the last days of the first month of classes when Edward got the letter. He had been eating his breakfast, reading over, again, a letter from Alphonse when it came. He knew right away who it was from. The official envelope and seal was enough to give that away. Without even bothering to wait until he was away from any prying eyes he opened it right there at the breakfast table and started reading the letter from his Commanding Officer.

He pushed his glasses up his nose and started.

_To: Colonel Edward Elric, Fullmetal Alchemist_

_From: Major General Roy Mustang, Flame Alchemist _

_Subject: Assessment Examination_

_Fullmetal,_

_Your assessment has been scheduled for the first week of October. I will be arriving on September 30__th__ and will spend no more than two weeks at the school. The assessment format is to be one on one combat. Fill out the paperwork and find somewhere that we can battle. _

_Your office says hello._

_See you soon._

_Major General Roy Mustang, Flame Alchemist _

"Very official, _Generalmajor,_" Edward said to himself, nodding in appreciation. He paused, thinking. September 30th... that was tomorrow. That was tomorrow! Man, Mustang wasn't leaving him a lot of time, was he?

Behind the note on the assessment was a set of forms that Edward was all too familiar with. He scanned over them before setting them aside with the letter. There was still a healthy stack of papers left in the envelope. Edward wondered what they could possibly be.

He slipped the first out and slipped it back in that quickly. It was the background reports he had requested. That was faster than he had anticipated. But he could not read them here at the breakfast table. This was something to be done in private, since the odds that the reports were written in code were next to none, never mind the fact they were in German.

Edward shot to his feet, hurrying for the nearest door that would lead him to his rooms. He had some things to do before Mustang arrived that had to be done.

* * *

"Professor," asked someone in his class, just as he was about to start, "where did you go this morning?"

Edward frowned. "Vhat?"

"This morning. You left in the middle of breakfast and no one saw you all day."

"I got a letter from my Superior Officer. He vill be arriving tomorrow. I had a small number of t'ings to do before t'en."

"Why is he coming here?" asked another student.

"To conduct my _Einschätzung._ It has been scheduled for t'is coming veek. T'e form is to be single man combat betveen me and_ Generalmajor_ Mustang. It should be interesting. If fact," he looked contemplative, "it might be a good idea for you to vitness this duel. T'en you vould be able to see vhat a fight betveen skilled alchemist looks like." He nodded to himself. "I vill have to clear this vit' the _Generalmajor_ and _Frau_ McGonagall before I invite you all to vatch...."

The class murmured excitedly. They had heard what a battle between alchemists was like and that this Mustang person was an alchemist that specialized in fire, something they had not yet seen. What was fire Alchemy really like? Why was it so dangerous? And if it was then how did their young professor intend to combat against it?

Their interest was perked.

But Edward would not be sidetracked for long and switched subjects with lightning speed. "Last class ve were discussing the usages of plant Alchemy. I t'ink I told you about the Tringham _bruders_, _ja?_ Yes? _Gut_. T'en I don't have to get into t'at again." He frowned. It still annoyed him that Russel had been so much taller than him at a younger age. It annoyed him enough that he fell silent for a full minute before starting his lecture again. Everyone in class looked confused, wondering why he was glaring at the sole potted plant in one of the windows. It was a mystery that he was not about to explicate.

He continued. "So, yesterday ve started vorking on plant t'eory. Who can tell me vhat t'e Equal Exchange is in t'is form of Alchemy?"

Several hands raised. He called on one in the middle, a blonde girl. "It comes from taking the necessary nutrients out of the ground and forcing the growth at an accelerated rate," she said promptly.

"Correct. Ten points to Ravenclaw," he nodded and turned to the chalkboard, sketching out a curvaceous array that was singularly plant orientated. "Copy this array. It vill be on a test at some time."

"Sir," asked Hermione, "how many arrays are there in Alchemy?"

Edward shrugged. "Several _tausend_, I believe," he said casually. "People are alvays coming up vit' new ones. My_ Bruder_ and I have come up vit' our share as vell since I started vorking vit' t'e _armee_."

"How many do you know?" asked a boy two rows back.

"After a vhile you forget how many you know and just use t'em." He shrugged again, sitting on the edge of his desk. "By the time my_ Bruder_ and I left our teacher ve knew several _hundert,_ many of vhich ve should not have known..." he trailed off, shaking his head.

"Are there forbidden arrays?"

He nodded slowly. "There are. There are a certain set of array and study that is _verboten_ for very _gut_ reason. Alchemists who try using t'em usually die. And if t'ey do not t'ey have had some part of their body taken as Equal Exchange," he looked out the window, his golden eyes dark. "If anyvone is caught studying t'at type of Alchemy t'ey are sentenced to deat', vhich is almost a kind fate to have. If t'ey are able to go t'rough vit' t'is transmutation t'en t'ey are never t'e same again." He sighed. "I knew someone who had tried it and lost all of her..." he frowned, trying to recall the right words. "Inner organs, I think you say? She spent t'e last years of her life very sick and just died a few months ago. Another person lost his entire body and had to have his soul tied to a suit of armor. Another _idiot_ lost his arm and leg. Vhile t'at did not kill him he had to have a very painful operation to fit him vit' new limbs and it vas anot'er year before he vas anyvere near normal." He shook his head, scowling. "My _Vater_ has said t'at this is t'e only form of transmutation t'at requires more t'an equal, and t'at if it can it vill require all of you and more. T'at is vhy most people die and vhy it is _verboten._ I do not vant to hear any more on t'is subject."

* * *

Edward had been cooling his heels outside the steps leading to the Entrance Hall for most of the morning. He did not know when Mustang would be arriving and so had decided that the safest course of operations would just to wait. His mood was growing dark, mimicking the clouds that were darkening the sky above him, threatening rain.

At long last there was something in the distance that looked promising. It only took a couple minutes to break from the trees and arrive at the steps to the castle. Edward winced when he saw the horse that pulled the carriage, wondering how in the world it was still upright. It looked like someone had pulled it out of a grave and told it to march.

Mustang stepped out from the carriage, right onto the first step and hurried up, not wanting to be caught in the threatening rain. They hurried in together, just as students were filtering out of their classes to the Great Hall for lunch. No one listening would be able to understand what they were saying to each other, since Mustang did not know how to speak English.

"Good morning, Fullmetal," he said, dusting off his long blue uniform coat.

"Good morning, Mustang," Edward said back then joked, "what brought you here?"

"What? I can't come to visit my favorite subordinante?" Mustang joked back, smirking a little, teasing Edward.

Edward snorted, not amused at the joke. "Like I'm supposed to believe that bull."

"You're so untrusting, Fullmetal," Mustang shook his head, ruefully.

"Whith very good reason," Edward eyed his Superior Officer warily.

Mustang shrugged, giving in to the unnerving golden gaze. "It's good to see you again, Edward. Are you ready for your Assessment?"

"Just say when and I'll kick you around the grounds any day." Edward shot the older man a fang-filled grin.

"You think you can?" Mustang raised an eyebrow.

Edward frowned. "Any day of the week, but not today. I'll take it easy on an old man like you." He sighed and nodded, stopping in front of the doors that led into the Great Hall. "Well, let's get this over with."

"Good choice, Fullmetal."

Edward pushed a door open and led the way in. Mustang's lips quirked up in an amused smile. Did Edward care that as a ranking officer he should have entered first? Of course not. This was Edward. Had Edward learned any respect over the years? Sure. Just not much.

And so, Roy Mustang, Flame Alchemist and Major General, followed closely after his subordinate, knowing what a striking combination they made walking together and fully intending on exploiting it. Their progress into the hall was accompanied by whispers and pointing fingers, as he expected. Edward and Roy ignored the interest with practiced ease. They walked straight up to the head table where Professor McGonagall stood, brushing her bottle green robes absently and staring at both of them over the rim of her glasses.

"_Frau_ McGonagall," Edward said politely, "I vould like to introduce my Superior Officer, _Generalmajor _Mustang. He has come here to conduct my_ Einschätzung."_

"Your what?" Usually people could pick out what Edward was talking about but this word was completely foreign to the English language.

"His Assessment, Minerva," Tonks spoke up.

Meanwhile Edward was continuing the introductions, naming the professors one by one to Mustang. Mustang's cobalt blue eyes studied each one with trained proficiency. He smiled winningly at every one of the professors even as Edward slouched and shoved his hands into his pockets. The difference between the two alchemists was not lost on anyone in the Hall. The tall newcomer seemed to be the perfect antithesis for their smaller professor, dark to Edward's light, an oriental cast to his face that belied his mixed heritage, unlike the near perfect Aryan caste that was Edward. Near perfect because of only the golden eyes. And better yet, Mustang was not wearing gloves and was actually wearing a uniform. Edward had yet to be seen in his military uniform and no one ever caught him without his gloves on.

Mustang nodded smartly to McGonagall, smiling winningly as well and said something in his native language. Edward translated.

"It is pleasure to meet you, _Frau_ McGonagall. I hope t'at Edvard has been no trouble," Edward scowled at Mustang but the Major General continued, "I only vill be here for two veeks at most. Edvard's... Assessment is not'ing more than a formality. I vill not be needing rooms, I vill be staying vit' Edvard... _Was!?"_ Edward turned to glare at Mustang. The Major General grinned and motioned for Edward to continue translating. Edward muttered something impolite under his breath that made Mustang's grin grow wicked. "And I promise that he vill fix anything ve destroy during the assessment."

"And why is his assessment scheduled now?" McGonagall asked, frowning.

Mustang shrugged when Edward relayed the question and had Edward translate his answer back. "T'ese sort of t'ings cannot be moved just because one _oberst_ is out of t'e country. Edvard is often sent avay from any office to vork. If he cannot be called back to t'e office for the Assessment t'en someone must be sent to him. And since his specialty is fighting t'en someone who is stronger t'an him must be sent. T'at is vhy I am here at t'is time." Mustang nodded smartly and clasped his hands behind his back. Edward frowned, still not liking the fact that Mustang had just invited himself into his quarters.

"Very well," McGonagall decided. "Would you like to join us for lunch?"

"_Ja, Danke,"_ he said after Edward relayed the question. The Headmistress conjured up another chair and place setting next to Edward's and waved them to their seats.

* * *

"Very interesting place this is, Fullmetal," Mustang commented on their way to Edward's rooms.

"You said it," Edward sighed, "Why do you have to share my rooms?"

"Would you rather I entertain the female students?" he arched a sarcastic eyebrow, "At least this way you will be able to vouch to Hawkeye that I was not fooling around with any of the students,"

"Pervert," Edward muttered, unlocking the door to his classroom.

"You live in your classroom?" Mustang asked, looking around, "Talk about married to your work."

"Behind the classroom, Genius," Edward snorted, striding to the door at the front of the classroom. He unlocked that one as well and led the way into Office, through the office and into his rooms.

Edward had not changed much in the time that he had been at Hogwarts. The walls were still bare, the room devoid of decoration. There was a picture of him and Alphonse on the stand beside his bed, along with an antique oil lamp. There was nothing in the rooms that personalized it, nothing that said that the person who lived there was anything more than a depersonalized worker drone. Either that or the person living there had not brought much with him.

"Spartan living, Fullmetal," Mustang raised an eyebrow. Edward shrugged.

"I got class in half an hour," the blond Alchemist reminded his CO. "Just toss your bags somewhere and we'll see what we can do about getting you a bed."

"What? Not sharing with you?"

Edward tossed Roy a disgusted glare, "You'll chase anything, won't you?"

"Only if it's pretty enough," he sighed, sitting delicately on Edward's bed and smirking.

"You're sick."

"Only in the eyes of some."

"Many, not some."

"What about you?" Roy smiled a slow smile, his eyes taking on a Come Hither cast to them.

Edward snorted. "Wipe that look off your face, you pervert."

"You wound me, Fullmetal," Roy laughed quietly, his one uncovered eye squinting with the smile, "do you really think that lowly of me?"

"Worse. And there's no way a seduction will succeed with you calling me 'Fullmetal' just so you know," Edward rolled his eyes and cast about the room, eying the empty space critically. "We can put your bed over there in that corner," he decided at last, gesturing to the corner farthest from his own bed.

Roy mock pouted. "What? Still can't sleep with you?"

"Not if you paid me."

"By the way," Roy suddenly went serious. "Your brother asked me to pass on a message."

"Oh?" Edward stilled, shooting the Major General a curious glance.

"He said 'Try to keep yourself busy,'" he recited. "What does he mean by that?"

Edward shook his head, all colour drained from his face. "Nothing. Nothing important. It's nothing you need to worry about. Thank you for passing that along. Yes. Thank you, Sir. I really should get ready for my lesson now."

Roy Mustang watched his subordinate closely. What was there hidden in Alphonse Elric's message that could rattle the unflappable State Alchemist so? He wracked his mind for a clue, coming up empty.

Then again, he did not really know Edward Elric as well as all that.

* * *

Edward frowned, blinked hard. Mustang had arrived not one day ago and already he was feeling over-stressed. He had known what time of year it was, of course, how could he not? He had known the implications of this certain time of year. He had not thought of all the implications though... this would be the first year that he and Alphonse would be separate since they made the largest mistake in their lives. But it was not that that struck Edward's heart to the core.

This would be the first anniversary of their mother's death that he would be spending by himself.

"Um... Professor?"

Edward crashed back to reality, shaking his head to clear the jumble of memories. _"Ja?"_ he asked, turning.

"Is something wrong?"

"Wrong? _Nein._ Nothing is wrong," he forced a halfhearted smile, his eyes flicking to where Mustang had decided to haunt in the back. The Major General looked thoughtful, frowning into space. Edward turned to look out the windows, massaging the bridge of his nose with his left hand. "Vhere vas I?"

"You were explaining the importance of the..." the rest of the words were lost to Edward as a rushing sound filled his ears and spots blackened his vision. He crumpled to the stone floor.

* * *

Edward was confused. Why were people arguing around him? Why was that pervert of a Major General telling someone that they couldn't take off his clothes? Of course they couldn't! And neither could he!

"Shut up," he grumbled in his native tongue, throwing an arm over his eyes and trying to roll over. He heard people rush closer. There was a cacophony in two languages. He decided to deal with the German first.

"Fullmetal! What happened?" Mustang demanded, rightfully wanting to know what had happened.

Edward sighed and opened his eyes. He paused. Where was he? He sat up gingerly. "Where am I?" he asked.

"You're in the infirmary," Mustang frowned. "You fainted in the middle of a lecture."

"I what?" Edward gaped, "You're lying! I never faint." Roy scowled, not liking that Edward had called him a liar. He wanted answers and if he had to he would play dirty.

"Tell me now, Fullmetal, what has you so would up that you fainted in you class or so help me I'll let this good nurse get close enough to do the examination she probably wants to kill me for stopping her from doing," he threatened, eying Edward's sleeve importantly.

Edward scowled, looking away, embarrassed. "It's nothing. Just... i don't know, stress, maybe."

"Stress?" Mustang raised an eyebrow. That was it? Stress? Edward had been under stress before, why pass out from it now?

"Yeah, stress,"Edward snapped.

"Does this have anything to do with the message Alphonse sent for you?"

The younger alchemist swallowed and rubbed an eye with his fist, "It's the anniversary of when our mother died."

"Annivers... oh," Roy suddenly understood. He rocked back on his heels, surprised.

"Yeah. But I'm fine," Edward insisted, swinging his legs out from under the covers and planting his feet on the floor. He noticed, with a hint of amusement, that he was still wearing his boots. "How long vas I out?" he asked the British lady in English.

"The young man here brought you in ten minutes ago." she said, sniffing distastefully in Mustang's direction. Edward quirked a smile. Young man? Mustang?

"Ten minutes? Vhat of my_ klasse?"_ He asked, pulling himself to his feet.

"Mister Heidrich! Would you please lie down! Your class has been dismissed. Would you _please_ lie down!"

Mustang stepped back, contenting himself with watching the Fullmetal Alchemist exert his iron, unbendable will and walk right out of the infirmary. The woman protested all the way but Edward only said goodbye. He shoved his hands into his pockets and stalked down the corridors back to his rooms. Mustang followed.

His mother's death. That was right. There was something in Edward's original file that had mentioned the date of his mother's death. Roy had not paid much attention to it since it had never before interfered with anything that concerned him. Now it did.

But what could he say? Grow up? Not when it was that that had started the chain that brought Edward here at this very moment. So Roy Mustang decided to stay silent on the subject.

"Would you like to talk about it?" he asked.

"No,"

Well, Edward shot that idea out of the water before it could do anything. Roy shrugged. He knew better than to try and force Edward into something he did not want to do. Edward tended to get ornery when pressed. Not that an ornery Edward was something that Roy was not used to dealing with, but it was not something he wanted to deal with now. Now was not the time to push buttons.

"Hey, Mustang?" Edward half turned, cocking his head to the side.

"Yes?"

"What do you wanna do this evening? I mean, I don't have a class anymore so I guess I've got the evening off."

A devious smile crept onto Roy's face. Edward grew nervous.

* * *

"No!" Edward protested, wishing he could put something between himself and his Superior Officer.

"Come on, Edward, you might like it," Roy tried to cozen the younger man into where he wanted him.

"No means no!"

"But it's so much fun, if you would just give it a try."

"I'm a teacher here! I'm supposed to set an example!"

"They don't need to know."

"What are the chances that they won't?"

"It's only a card game, Edward." Roy jiggled the deck he was holding suggestively. "Don't tell me you're scared."

"As if!" Ever the one up for a challenge and never one to admit weakness, was Edward Elric. Of course, Mustang had been betting on that prideful streak. Now that it had been pricked he had Edward just where he wanted him.

"So you'll play?"

"What're the rules?" he snapped, sitting down on the bed in front of his CO. Roy resisted smirking by a hair. It was a good thing he had so much control.

Hey, Edward had asked what he wanted to do. And at the moment Roy wanted to help get Edward's mind off the upcoming anniversary. Bunking with a depressed roommate was not worth the pain. It was worth a little effort to distract him from his depression long enough to get some money off of him.

"First one to loose has to answer any question asked him."

* * *

Edward canceled his class on the day of October the third. Not one of the students or faculty saw the young alchemist all day. Mustang had come down for breakfast, resplendent in his uniform, impeccably groomed, alone and frowning deeply. No one tried to speak to him, not after he glared Tonks' hair a terrified blue.

After breakfast Mustang returned straightway to Edward's room. He was only half surprised to find it locked.

"Edward." He knocked on the wooden door. "Edward, open the door."

There was no response.

"Edward?"

"Get lost, Mustang," Edward threw something at the door and it clattered to the floor. Roy wondered what it could have been.

"Edward, let me in," he ordered with a frown and a sigh.

"Bite me."

Roy let that slide. It would have been far to easy. "Let me in and you won't be alone in your drinking," he offered.

Silence. There was a shuffle of mismatched footsteps and the door was unlocked. Edward stood aside to let his CO enter before bolting the door behind him. He waved a naked hand towards the large amounts of hard liquor he had somehow gotten a hold of. Mustang noted, surprised, that Edward was only wearing his pants and a black tank top, leaving his feet and arms strangely bare.

"How did you know I was drinking?" Edward asked, picking up a bottle and sitting gingerly down on his bed. Roy snagged a bottle as well, sitting next to Edward.

"It's what I'd be doing if I were you," Roy admitted. He coughed violently as he swallowed. "What is this stuff?" he asked, eyes watering.

Edward grinned. "They call it 'Fire Whiskey'. Why? Is it too strong for you?"

"Not a chance, Brat," Roy grinned as well.

Edward snorted something unintelligible and attempted to drown himself. He coughed and tried again. This time the whiskey went down the right way. It only took a bottle and a half before Edward was staring blankly at his automail hand, slowly flexing the fingers.

Roy, who had hardly touched his bottle, watched his subordinate curiously. This was the only time he had ever seen the eldest Elric without all of his carefully constructed defenses. The boy looked... just that, a boy. It was hard to believe this child had done all of the things that he had, and at such a young age. Genius or not, he was a child, one who had been ripped from his parents far too soon and forced to grow up. Roy had seen children like Edward all the time, but Edward had not been a child of war. There should have been no reason for him to have to grow so quickly.

No reason why a child should legally be an adult and military officer at twelve.

"Stop looking like that," Edward said suddenly. "The girls are going to think you've gone serious."

"Heaven forbid," Roy murmured.

"And stop frowning like that," he directed. "You won't look pretty if your face freezes like that."

Roy raised an eyebrow. "You think I'm pretty?"

"Just quoting what the rumors say," Edward sniffed and took another drink. "Don't let it got to your head. Gah! This stuff tastes terrible."

"Yet you still drink it."

"I'm hoping to die from alcohol poisoning," Edward said sarcastically.

"Edward, are you drunk already?" Roy asked, leaning closer.

Edward scoffed. "Not a chance. I never get drunk."

"Do you ever drink?"

"You kidding? Alphonse would kill me!" Edward looked scandalized at the very thought. "He always was the smart one. Me, I'd just go off and get myself killed. Alphonse is the reason why I'm alive. If he hadn't..." he scrubbed at his eyes. "If he hadn' dragged me to Granny's house I would'a just bled to death there that day. Should'a. I'm such an idiot."

"Edward..." Roy blinked his one good eye, "are you crying?"

"No!" Edward denied, even as he blinked tears away. He cursed foully and scrubbed at his eyes viciously. Roy smiled gently and ruffled Edward's hair. Edward scowled and pushed Roy's hand away. "Don't touch me, pervert. Who knows where that hand of yours has been."

"I just washed it before breakfast," Roy said, affecting a wounded tone of voice.

"Yeah, sure, whatever." Edward's gaze drifted off into space and his face went uncharacteristically blank. This was an expression that always disturbed Roy whenever it was on Edward's normally expressive face. The younger alchemist had very little control over how his emotions were displayed on his face, making him incredibly easy to read. This usually was not a problem, especially in a situation where people were trying to force information out of him. By that point he was so irritated that he would not give an inch and was hurling more insults per second than he had centimeters in height.

Impressive to say the least.

Roy took another cautious sip from his bottle and watched as Edward picked up another, already struggling to uncork it. A drinking man he was not.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

**NOT Sleeping with the Major General**

Roy woke up all at once, a habit carried over from the battlefront, one that had never left him. Something nearby stunk. He carefully rolled over. It was Edward. He was in Edward's bed. Why was he in Edward's bed? Oh, right. They had been drinking. That accounted for the strong stench of hard liquor. Now why was he in Edward's bed? Right. Edward had passed out some time in the middle of the night and he hadn't had the energy to move, so he stayed as well. Innocent.

Oh well. It seems that Edward Elric was as pure as the driven snow, even when sauced to the gills. Pity.

Wait. What time was it?

Roy looked out the window and noted the irritatingly cheery blue sky . It was day. Helpful. Didn't Edward have a class to teach?

"Oi, Brat," Roy said, poking Edward in the ribs. The blond refused to move. "Edward," he tried again.

"Mrph," Edward snorted and tugged the covers closer around him.

"Edward, don't you have a class?" he persisted.

"Cancel it," came the near unintelligible reply.

"Isn't that a little irresponsible?" Roy teased.

"You take it then," Edward growled. "You got an hour to get ready."

Roy blinked. "Me? You must be joking, Fullmetal. I can't even speak English."

"So? It's just a test. You write the questions up on the board and burn the papers of the cheaters. Even you can handle that." The last was said so venomously that Roy felt almost bad for pestering someone with a hangover the size that Edward undoubtedly had.

"Are these questions already in English?" Roy asked almost fearfully.

"On my office desk." Edward turned his face into his pillow. "Now go away."

"Right," Roy slid carefully off the bed, no small feat since Edward had him sandwiched between him and the wall. But he made it. And, as quietly as he could, he made it out of the bedroom as well.

Once he was in the spartan office he made a beeline for the desk. There were a few scraps of paper, all in Edward's unique, near illegible yet somehow very readable hand. Notes for his lectures, more notes, a draft for a report. That should not be lying around. Ah! Here it was. _Untersuchung._ Test. And since Roy couldn't read it at all he assumed that this must be the right paper. Good way of knowing that.

He left the office and started meticulously copying the paper onto the chalkboard. It took him almost the entire hour to finish writing since he was constantly checking his work against Edward's, trying to keep the spelling as close as possible.

"That's it," he decided, "I hate English. This spelling makes no sense. It's a wonder that they can read their own language!"

He had just finished the last question when the first of the students filed in. He checked the entire work over again, waiting for the rest to arrive.

At last he turned and stared impassively at the wide-eyed children. With a calculated sniff he started speaking.

"_Mein name ist Generalmajor Roy Mustang,"_ He said. _"Oberst Hidrich ist kranker heutiger tag, also übernehme ich diese Klasse. Ich spreche nicht Englisch, also versuche nicht mit mir zu sprechen."_ There. If they did not understand that then too bad. He sat down behind Edward's desk and pulled on his gloves. The students had no idea what the gesture meant. A confused murmur rose and one of the students raised her hand. Roy pointed firmly to the chalkboard that displayed an hour of his labours. Slowly they got the hint and started the test.

Fifteen minutes later Roy's eye narrowed and he snapped his fingers, the sound echoing unnaturally loud in the stone walls. The spark sped through the air between students. A sheet of paper in the middle of the classroom burst into flames, burning out quickly. The students gasped and stared between the almost napping Major General and the caught cheater. The boy sunk low into his chair, eyes wide in shock and awe.

"_Jedermann sonst?"_ he asked with a hint of irritation, looking around slowly.

There were no more such incidents of cheating.

* * *

Edward felt like crap. He had a headache the size of Mustang's ego and his limbs felt like they were made of lead. Idly he wondered if Winry had changed the composition of his automail while he had been drunk. It was a possibility, except that she had not come with Mustang to Hogwarts.

So what was wrong with him?

Oh. right. He had gotten very drunk with Mustang last night. It was last night, right? He vaguely recalled Mustang waking him up. Something to do with his class.

His class... oh dear. He sure hoped Mustang would forgive him that.

"Good morning, Fullmetal."

Edward lifted his head, gazing blearily across the room to where his CO was sitting at a small reading desk. Roy lifted an eyebrow at his subordinate. The eldest Elric brother looked like he had been dragged kicking and screaming through another automail surgery.

"Mustang? What are you doing here?" he asked, feeling quite brilliant.

"Here," the older man picked up a glass and moved across the room to sit on the bed beside Edward. He helped Edward sit up and handed him the glass. "Drink this and get dressed. Breakfast should be in a couple minutes."

Edward turned green at the thought of food. "No breakfast," he said, steeling himself before downing the drink in one swallow.

"What do you want done with the empty bottles?"

"I'll take care of them," the Colonel offered once his eyes stopped watering. "What was that?"

"You don't want to know. It'll keep you from getting sick." Roy reclaimed the glass and caught Edward's chin in his hand. Edward's eyebrows furrowed as he tried to figure out what Mustang was up to. Roy studied Edward's face carefully, checking his pupils for dilation. After ingesting that much alcohol it did not hurt to be a little careful. At last he released Edward and moved away from the bed. "Get dressed. I'll wait for you out in your office."

Edward stared after the Major General as the tall man closed the door behind him. Morning. That meant that it must be... the fifth? That meant that he only had two more days to have his assessment in!

In a sudden flurry – one that left his head spinning and had him clutching at the bedpost for a full three minutes – Edward leaped out of bed. He groped around for his clothes, checking them over once to make sure that they were passably clean. They'd do. He threw them on and crammed his feet into his boots, snatching up a clean pair of gloves before staggering out of the bedroom and into the office. Roy was staring out of the window.

"So you'll take care of the empty bottles after breakfast then?"

"Yeah, sure. Whatever." Edward scowled and tried to get his mind off the pounding headache. Who in the world invited Dwarfs into his skull and got them tipsy? Whoever it was should be court-martialed.

He had been in the military far too long.

"Ready to go down for breakfast?" Roy asked.

"Yeah, yeah," Edward nodded, "I'm coming." He tugged on his gloves and followed Roy out into the hall. From there he took the lead.

* * *

It was announced at lunch that all of the students were to report to the Quidditch pitch after the meal, that they were excused from their regular classes for this event. McGonagall wanted the students to see what a battle between alchemists looked like, not knowing how just dangerous her desire could be.

Edward was still feeling terrible, hungover really, but that was not going to stop him from kicking Roy around the pitch if he could manage it. He rubbed his gloved hands together gleefully. In front of him Roy smirked confidently. In all of the years that they had conducted Edward's assessment in this manner the blond had yet to defeat him. It was something that Edward hoped to remedy this time around.

Over the loudspeaker – the two alchemists assumed it was a loudspeaker and did not want to think it could be anything else – someone counted down from three. On 'One' before the person counting down could say 'Go' Edward sprung forward, crouching low, and Roy snapped his fingers, both attacking preemptively, a habit learned though the fire and fighting of the wars that they had survived.

The explosion rocked the stadium. But Edward was no longer in the line of fire. Roy twisted about, drawing a gun and firing. Edward clapped his hands together and transmuted a wall of stone to take shelter behind. Stray bullets were stopped by a shield that someone had been thoughtful enough to put around the pitch to protect the students. He waited for the worst of the storm of bullets to pass and then created himself steps, hoping to get himself above the Flame Alchemist.

It almost worked. Roy rolled out of the way, snapping his fingers when he was upright once more, sending Edward flying backwards. He landed hard on his back. Bullets peppered the earth around him, too close for comfort. Edward scrabbled to his feet, clapping his hands and transmuting a series of stone spikes. They headed straight for the Major General.

Any lesser alchemist might have thought himself in a bind, faced with that many spikes headed straight for him, but not Roy Mustang. Any lesser alchemist might have wet himself, but not Roy.

Still, it did not change the fact that Roy couldn't do anything offensive at the moment. So, instead of snapping his fingers or pulling the trigger on his handgun he backpedaled as fast as he possibly could.

Edward pressed forward, taking his advantage while he had it. He ducked down, weaving between his spikes with ease. Swiftly he set to work transmuting several small, close range weapons. Roy snapped his fingers again, throwing his useless gun aside, but this time Edward ran headlong into the flames. His automail arm took the brunt of the fury. There was a rush of sound from the watching school as he vanished into the raging fire. But Roy was not taken in. He quickly put space between where Edward had vanished and his last position.

Never take anything for granted. If war had taught him anything...

Edward burst forth from the flames. He skidded to a halt, twisting around wildly, looking for his opponent. Another burst of flames rocked the stadium. This time, instead of pushing him back, the larger storm pulled him in. In a fit of desperate intuition Edward clapped his hands and held them out on either side, standing spread eagle.

Roy wondered what in the world the blond boy was doing. What could he be transmuting? He was answered not a second later.

Blue alchemical lightning crackled all around. Every fire on the pitch was suddenly extinguished as a thick mist formed and promptly turned into rain, soaking everything indiscriminately.

"What was that?" Roy demanded irately, drenched and suddenly useless. He reached desperately for another handgun. Nothing.

Edward grinned madly. He had just accomplished something that alchemists throughout the ages had thought impossible: he had transmuted the very air around him! He was a freakin' genius!

But celebrations could wait until later. He clapped his hands again, evaporating the water from his gloves before clapping again, this time in a different manner. Instead of striking his hands directly, he glanced them off each other, like flint and steel. With much the same effect.

The firestorm that erupted in the middle of the pitch dried everything out, even though the burst only lasted for a flash of a second.

When the smoke cleared, so to say, Roy was standing, covered in soot and looking quite nonplussed. He was not allowed to dwell on this strange turn of events for long as he soon found his subordinate darting in, automail arm plating transmuted into a blade that extended past his closed fist. Roy only had time to bring his hand up, fingers at the ready, when Edward pulled back, his blade mere inches from Roy's throat.

An impasse.

Edward smirked at his CO.

"So?" he asked.

"Edward," Roy said slowly, "How long have you been studying fire Alchemy?"

Edward thought about it, "About a... hm, six months now, I think."

"Your control needs some work," Roy sighed, swaying a little. "How did you get a hold of Pyrotex gloves?"

"Made 'em."

"Is that so?" Roy blinked and nodded smartly, signaling the end of the duel. Both Alchemists relaxed, standing down. Edward returned his arm to normal. "Don't think you killed anyone, Fullmetal."

"Shouldn't have." Edward gazed up into the crowd speculatively.

"Nevertheless, I think I can honestly pass you," he nodded and tried to wipe the soot from his face, smearing it instead.

"Good to hear it." Edward nodded. "Now let's fix this place up."

"You fix it," Roy directed. "It would be more impressive for the masses to see it done by Alchemy rather than a shovel."

Edward grumbled that Mustang was just lazy and didn't want to help but he clapped his hands and held them over the abused ground of what used to be the field at the base of the Quidditch pitch. A soft blue light flowed around his hands and spread out in a short burst. The ground smoothed out and the bare patches turned green again. The hoops on either side, all of which had started to look a little droopy from the intense heat of the multiple bursts of flames, straightened and stood at attention once more. Even the stands returned to a better condition than they had been before the duel had started. When Edward finally broke contact with the ground he was sweating lightly from all of the energy and concentration that massive job had taken.

"Well done," Roy complimented, appreciatively looking over the Quidditch pitch.

"Yeah, thanks, Fuhrer Mustang," Edward joked. Roy cracked a smile and nodded majestically.

"One day, Edward. One day and I will be."

* * *

The school buzzed with gossip about the duel and Professor Heidrich's strange arm. Edward refused to say anything on the subject of his arm other than it was an old war injury that he had gotten as a child. The lie had become all to easy to say. When pressed he went tight lipped and muttered something surely unpleasant in German.

No one really wanted to pressure him. Not after witnessing what he could do.

Edward noted a marked improvement in his classes with no small amount of amusement. As if they could actually learn enough in the year to get anywhere near to his level. The idea was laughable but he was not above capitalizing on it. Take what you can and don't look that gift horse in the mouth, he would tell himself.

"Professor," asked a curious boy in one of his class the day after his Assessment, "you have us learning all of these arrays but when you were fighting with that other man neither of you drew any arrays."

"True," Edward acknowledged. _"Generalmajor_ Mustang did not need to draw any arrays, his preferred array is sewn onto his gloves. It saves him time in a fight."

"What about you," pressed the boy.

Edward smiled sadly. "Vhen you survive the _Wahrheit,_ the Truth of Alchemy, many things are changed. Most people die or go _verrückt,_ mad, insane. The cost is never vorth t'e result. The _Wahrheit_ cost is more than Equal, always. If you manage to survive t'e _Wahrheit_ the need to draw simple arrays is not longer, but only fools seek out t'e _Wahrheit _and the lucky ones do not have to live vit' results, t'ey get to die." Silence fell in the classroom when he finished speaking. Most of the children were stunned at the longing way Edward spoke of death. Suddenly he did not look their age, he looked much, much older and very tired.

"Sir," ventured a girl near the windows, "if you don't need to use arrays then why do you use them in class?"

Edward looked up, his smile a little brighter, more amused. "To show you how to use t'em, of course. Even myteacher used drawn arrays every vonce in a vhile."

"So your teacher didn't need arrays either?"

"_Nein,"_ Edward sighed.

"Does he still teach?" asked another student.

"She," he stressed, his golden eyes flashing, "died. Payment for seeing the _Wahrheit _so many years back."

"Oh," The boy shrunk into his seat, mortified he had brought up the subject.

Edward shrugged. "She vas a _gut _voman, she lived a _gut _life. She vas also a _gut_ teacher. She put up vit' me, after all," he quirked a sardonic smirk at his class. "Of course, she vas not above beating sense into my head. T'at vas how I learned to fight, you know. She taught my_ Bruder_ and I to fight before she taught us Alchemy. 'Train the body and the mind' she told us," he recited, leaning against his desk. "She vould run us into the ground before every meal and then have us studying Alchemy texts until they closed the Shop at night. Vhat I learned vit' her kept me alive t'rough t'e the years t'at led to t'e civil var and t'e var itself. I am not sad t'at she has died. For too long she vas in pain. Now she is not. Now she waits vith her son on the other side of the _Tor_ for her husband to join t'em," Edward nodded, smiling softly. "But t'at is not vhat today's lesson is supposed to be on."

* * *

Much speculation was circulating around Hogwarts come the second week of Mustang's stay. Many of the students, mostly the girls and the yaoi fans, were wondering why their very attractive Alchemy professor was sharing quarters with this equally attractive military officer. And to make things even steamier there were some interesting conjectures being thought up to explain why they both had seemed to disappear for days at a time last week.

Of course Edward was oblivious and Roy couldn't understand a word that was being said to him. If either had known what was being said... well, Edward would have blushed three shades of tomato and tried desperately to set them right. Roy just would have smirked and let the masses think what they would. Which was another reason why Edward had little respect for him.

It was at lunch one day that the subject was broached. Of course, it was Tonks who dared bring it up.

"So, rumor has it you and Mr. Mustang over there have a thing going on," she said, winking. Edward stared at her blankly. He clearly did not understand what she was getting at so she elaborated. "You and Mustang," she said, pointing, "having an salacious affair?"

"Sala..?" Edward frowned. He was not familiar with that word. Tonks elaborated.

"You're sleeping together and doing other naughty things."

Red had nothing on Edward's blush. It was brighter than his coat, than the embroidery on Mustang's gloves, than the blood than ran though his veins. His mouth dropped open and he stared at Tonks in mute horror.

Until...

"_WAS!?"_ he exploded, scuttling back, bumping into Mustang and tipping to the floor. Suddenly the attention of the entire hall was on him. Did he notice? Not at the moment. Mustang did though, not that he had a clue as to what was going on in the conversation. "Me and--? _Nein! Nein!_ Not if my life depended on it vould I ever... Disgusting!" he shuddered, looking a very green around the gills.

"_Fullmetal?"_ Roy frowned. Edward held up his hands defensively and quickly explained. The Major General blinked once and grinned. He started to chuckle quietly. Edward glared death and picked himself up off the floor, righted his chair and seated himself with great dignity.

"_Nichts_ is going on betveen the _Generalmajor_ _und_ _mich,"_ he said firmly.

Enough of that was said in German – and written on Edward's bright red face – that Roy could catch the general gist of what was being said. He shrugged fluidly. _"Unglücklicherweise,"_ he sighed dramatically. Edward shot him another chilling glare.

"Shut up, Mustang!" he snapped, disregarding rank and respect entirely. Roy only grinned wider. Edward was upset! What fun!

"_Nein,"_ he said, loving the fact that Edward's face was getting brighter by the moment. He grinned and poked Edward in the cheek. The blond's eye twitched spasmodically. Edward said something rather spectacularly foul to his Superior Officer and stalked from the room, trying to reclaim some dignity and respect. Roy laughed quietly. He loved teasing the boy. True, he might have taken it overboard a little but Edward was just so cute when he blushed that it was worth it.

Turning to the other professors he shrugged helpless and sighed.

"_Kinder."_

* * *

"You foul-minded pervert!" Edward seethed when Roy finally managed to make it back to his rooms, "You just let them think we've been sleeping together why don't you! Never mind what they think of me now, never mind that I've probably managed to loose every shred of respect I dragged from them since I got here! No, now you get to look good at my expense. Thank you ever so much," golden eyes chilled to ice and the aura of doom that swirled around the Fullmetal Alchemist promised retribution.

Roy was unaffected, "Calm down, Fullmetal," he said.

Edward exploded. "Calm down? Calm down! You must be joking!"

"Edward," Roy snapped, earning a dark glare, "would you rather the real reason we were absent for those days circulate around the school? That you were passed out drunk over a memory? Would you rather they know just what it was you were drinking to? Think boy!"

The blond alchemist glowered and spun around, presenting his CO with his back. Roy nodded to himself. He had gotten through to Edward even if the younger man refused to admit it. There was no way Edward could refute his logic, not with a mind like his.

"But why did you not say anything? You could have backed me up at least," he asked at last. It had taken quite a bit of control to stamp down on his rising temper enough so that he could speak at any volume lower than a shout. He dared not turn around to look at Mustang, not trusting how long he would be able to control his ire.

Roy shrugged, not caring that Edward could not see the gesture. "Did you even know that you had a fanclub here?" he asked.

"What?" Edward looked back, surprised. "A what? Me?"

"Yes you, Edward," Roy almost rolled his eyes. Edward had yet to overcome his childish obliviousness and it was rather pathetic at times. "Trust me when I say it was one of the first things I noticed when coming here. Think of it this way: now they think you're taken and will be less tempted to threaten your position as teacher by trying anything naughty." When he put it that way it almost sounded like he was doing Edward a favor.

"Naughty?" Edward frowned. He didn't like where this was going.

"Planned seductions, Edward."

Edward blushed yet again and looked up at Roy, horrified. Something flickered across his face and suddenly he shrugged, looking away. "That would stop soon enough," he said.

"Why do you think that?" Roy's curiosity was peaked. Wordless Edward dragged his right sleeve up, baring a hint of automail. The Major General just stared at the boy.

"What?" Edward snapped after a while.

"Edward Elric, you must be an idiot if you think that mere automail would be enough to dissuade attraction." He shook his head, sighing and closing his eyes , trying to ward off the stupidity that was his subordinate. "Do you know how many people I have had to discipline because they made inappropriate comments about you? People that knew all about your automail?"

"Huh?" As much of a genius as Edward was supposed to be, this turn in the conversation was clearly beyond him. Roy just shook his head and patted the younger man on the shoulder.

"One of these days, Edward, and you'll understand what I've been doing for you."

* * *

Edward spent the entire rest of that day confused. He was still frowning when he had to teach. It was times like this that it was both a blessing and a curse that he was able to entertain multiple layers of cognition at once. So while he was able to teach effectively and keep his mind on the topics and questions he could not stop thinking about Mustang's words.

He had a fanclub? The idea was more than Edward could grasp.

Then again he had more on his plate now, thanks to Mustang and his shenanigans, than just his mission and the newfound... fanbase....

"_Ja?"_

"Professor, is it true that you and...."

Edward's chalk snapped against the board and the broken end clattered to the floor. The girl shut up. "_Frauline_ Smith, vhat does t'at have to do vit' t'e lesson?" he asked with obvious and patented forced calm.

"Nothing sir," she said, sinking into her chair, blushing multiple shades of red. "I'm sorry for asking, sir."

"Ten points from Slyt'erin for _unpassend_ qvestions," he shook his head and shot Mustang a glare. The Major General smirked, leaning up against the back wall of the classroom. Edward resisted the urge to throw his chalk at the infuriating man. "Getting back to the lecture. As you vere permitted to see during my_ Einschätzung_ both t'e _Generalmajor_ and I are able to preform fire Alchemy, although I do need to vork onmine_._ T'is type of fire Alchemy is more difficult to master because you must be able to change the very air around yourself in a moment."

"Sir? What do you mean by change the air? What does the air have to do with fire?" asked a boy in the front.

Edward shook his head, muttering about how they were teaching these children nothing in this school. "Fire needs air to burn. To be more specific, fire burns _sauerstoff... _ah... oxygen. And to create an explosion from a spark an alchemist must change the oxygen in the air so that there is more of it."

"So why was your explosion so much bigger than Mr. Mustang's?" asked the same boy, "Is it because you're better?"

Edward laughed. Way to stroke a guy's ego! "_Nein, nein,_ t'at is not t'e reason. T'e _Generalmajor_ is still t'e master vhen it is Fire. _Nein,_ mine vas larger because I changed t'e air into too much oxygen."

"Sir," started another boy two rows back, "You said before that fire alchemists didn't know any other type of Alchemy so how is it that you know it?"

"Because I can do more t'an most?" he shrugged. "People call me a _genie._ I guess that makes me smarter than most people."

"Genie?" Most everyone in the class looked confused, a couple even snickered.

"Somevone who is very smart," Edward explained, wondering if the English word was different from the German.

"Oh, Genius."

Edward shrugged. Whatever, it was not that big a difference between the two words. "Vhatever. _Ja_, I can do most fields of Alchemy, vitch is vhy I vas accepted as a State Alchemist at twelve. Normally I vould not have been able to apply until I vas six-ten, but I had... somevone speak for me," his eyes flicked over to Mustang for the briefest of moments before sliding away.

"Sir," asked another student, "you did something else then, and it has me confused. You just clapped your hands and held them out and then it started to rain. What did you do? Can you control the weather with Alchemy?"

"Control veather? _Nein_, you can not do that. Vhat I did then... hmm," he thought about it, shaking his head slowly. "I changed t'e air around me. Hm, how to say... Vell, _erste_ you must know t'at t'ere is many t'ings in t'e air and _wasser_ is one of t'em. Vhat I did vas bring all t'at _wasser_ toget'er enough t'at it vas too heavy to stay in t'e air. T'at is vhat rain is."

"Do you think that we might be able to do it?"

The alchemist cracked a sardonic smile. "Before my_ Einschätzung_ no one had ever been able to do t'at, t'at I heard about. Not even my_ vater_ or my teacher. So,_ nein,_ I do not t'ink that you vill be able to do that at all."

* * *

Edward was showing Roy around the castle when they stumbled on it. They had been walking the corridors on the fourth floor when a familiar feeling caught Edward's attention. It was somewhat familiar to Roy as well, but since he had not been around Alphonse as much as Edward had when the younger Elric was bound to his suit of armor he could not pinpoint what it was that was familiar about the feeling.

But it was something that Edward was well acquainted with.

The blond alchemist ran his hands along the walls of the corridor, searching for the source of the presence. Roy stood back, watching, feeling somewhat confused.

"What is that, Fullmetal?" he asked at last.

"It feels like a bound soul," Edward said, "and it feels like it's coming from this wall somewhere."

"From the wall?" Roy stepped forward to inspect the stone for himself. "Where?"

"Here," Edward's fingers found a depression and he felt about the small cavity, prying out what was hidden within. It was a ring.

"A ring?"

Edward examined it carefully. It was silver, tarnished black, with a small gem set in the band. There were no arrays that he could see that would bind a soul to the trinket, but there was definitely the presence of a soul.

"Edward?" Roy caught Edward's attention. "Is that what the soul is bound to?"

"Looks like," Edward frowned, "Can't see the array though...."

"Magic?"

"Might be. Huh. You wanna hold onto it until I get back home?" He offered the ring to his Superior Officer. Roy shrugged and pocketed it.

"Might as well. I'll try not to loose it."

"You'd better not."

* * *

Roy left at the end of the week. Edward saw him off with much screaming in German. The students who had the poor luck to have been in the Entrance Hall at the time were left wondering what the two officers had said.

As Mustang had passed through the doors Edward had suddenly gone stiff and shouted "Who are you calling short!" at the top of his lungs, in German of course, protesting Mustang's favorite insult and frightening several students in the meantime.

Mustang only laughed and called back "I can't seem to see you, you're so small, Fullmetal," over his shoulder, pretending to look about for the smaller man.

Edward, feeling very sour, followed the Major General out and waited until he was in the carriage before he said anything more. Mustang beat him to the punch.

"Hawkeye would kill me for sure if i stayed any longer. The paperwork must be a mile high by now," he said, noting the homesick look on Edward's face. Both men shuddered at the thought of Hawkeye on a rampage. There were reasons that the Higher-Ups did not know about how and why Mustang and Edward always managed to get their paperwork done promptly on time. The reason: Riza Hawkeye and her gun.

"One of these days she won't miss and you'll really get shot in the head rather than just loose a few hairs." The colonel sighed and frowned at the elder man. The warning fell on deaf ears.

Mustang laughed at the very idea. "She wouldn't dare."

"You rely too much on your charm," Edward scowled, shaking his head.

Roy smirked. "But at least it's a well-founded faith."

"Just leave." Edward flicked a hand dismissively.

"So rude. You should learn some manners," Roy sighed, shaking his head in mock regret at children these days. Edward resisted sticking his tongue out.

"Only when you stop chasing anything in a skirt."

"Not if you paid me," Roy grinned, laughing at the absurd thought that he might actually stop chasing women just to get Edward to act polite.

"I'll see you in a couple of months," Edward said instead, changing the subject."Tell my brother that i said 'hello'."

Roy nodded and Edward stepped back, motioning for the carriage to move forward. He watched until it disappeared into the distance before turning to head back into the castle. It was both a relief and a hard to see Mustang leave. It had been nice to have someone around to talk to in German rather than English. It had been nice to have a, dare he admit it, friend.

It was going to be a long rest of the year.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

**Edward Elric, Fullmetal Alchemist, Terror on Two Legs**

"Professor Heidrich?"

Edward turned. It was Hermione. About time, he thought. It only took her a month and a half to try to talk to him in private. He wondered what it was that she wanted.

"_Ja?_ Vhat can I do for you _frauline_ Granger?" he asked, smiling as unthreateningly as he possibly could manage without looking psychotic.

Hermione bit her lip and looked down at the books in her arms nervously. "I was wondering if I could ask you something."

"Vhat is the matter? Not your studies?" Edward quirked an eyebrow at her and took a venture. "Is it those two friends of yours, then?" She looked up sharply, her eyes wide in shock. Edward laughed a liitle. "I vas not sent into a var vithout being told of the important people, _Frauline._ I know of vhat you three have been doing these three years past, most of vhat had to do vit' this Dark Lord, vhat-ever-his-name-vas," he waved a negligent hand.

"Voldemort," Hermione said softly, nodding, "and you're right. I was going to ask advice."

"If I can help, I vill," Edward promised. "Vould you rather talk in my office?"

"That would be nice, thank you," she nodded and followed him out of the classroom.

"I vould offer tea – you English seem fond of it, do you not? - but I do not have any, I am sorry." He shrugged and motioned for her to sit in the one extra chair in the room and sat down himself. "So, vhat can I do for you?"

"Well, sir," she began, pursing her lips thoughtfully, "it is about my friends Harry and Ron. You see at the end of the last term they decided that they would go after Voldemort on their own. I was going to join them but they wanted me here...."

"And the problem is...?" Edward asked after she paused.

"I haven't heard from either of them since just after term began. Before that they wrote once a week, always. I thought that since you are in the military you might know something about locating people," she said softly, looking down at her hands.

Edward contemplated the problem presented to him. He scratched absently at his chin, staring off into space as he thought. "Do you know vhere they vere last time they wrote to you?" he asked at last.

"They said that they had almost found all of the horcr..." she trailed off, covering her mouth, looking horrified with herself.

"All of the vhat?" Edward cocked an eyebrow at her. "If I am to help you_, frauline,_ I must know everything important."

Reluctantly she continued. "Horcruxes. They've been looking for the horcruxes that hold Voldemort's soul."

"Pardon?" Edward narrowed his eyes, not liking what he was hearing.

"The Dark Lord... he's split his soul into pieces and scattered them around so that he could not be killed." Hermione looked ill. Edward was furious.

"_Verboten!"_ he growled, shooting to his feet and spinning to face the window.

"It is terrible," Hermione agreed, "and it's one of the Darkest arts known to Witches and Wizards. But Harry and Ron had found most of them already, last they told me. They were following a lead that was bringing them this way when they stopped writing."

"This vay?" Edward paused. He had gotten forwarded reports that the Dark Lord was moving in on Hogwarts as well. This was far too coincidental to be mere happenstance. Something was going on that he was not yet aware of, something under the surface. What was it that could be drawing these two major players into this part of the land? "Do you have any idea vhy they vould be heading back here?"

"I can only guess that they heard of a horcrux somewhere near here," Hermione shrugged.

Edward nodded, thinking. "Do you... do you know vhat it is that a ho... Horcruz? ...looks like?"

"It can be anything."

Of course. You could bind a soul to anything so long as it was physical. Wonderful. Another problem on his plate. This mission was getting tedious. Now he couldn't just kill the Dark Idiot he had to find the bits of his soul and return them to him before toasting the villain? This was just shaping up to be highly unfair and just not fun!

Binding souls. The practice was near impossible without doing away with the body that the soul had inhabited prior to the binding. Edward had never heard of the body being able to survive without the soul. It was one of the most frustrating aspects of Alchemy, the soul. It was tricky, slippery, impossible to duplicate or imitate. It was the chief reason why human transmutation failed so often. It was the most coveted possession for those who did not have one. It was annoying to work with.

"Anything," he frowned to himself and sat back down. "Of course. Souls can be bound to anything _greifbar_. But how did he pay the Equal Exchange vithout giving up his body?"

"Well," Hermione swallowed and grimaced, "every time that he splits his soul he has to kill someone. Could that pay the exchange?"

Somehow that did not surprise Edward. Disgusted him, of course, but it was no big surprise. "_Ja._ And _Herr_ Potter has been searching for these... Horcruz vit' _Herr _Veasley?"

"Since the end of last term."

"Hm," he thoughtfully stroked his chin, "And how many have the found, do you know?"

Hermione hesitated, shrugging. It was clear to Edward that she knew, but that she did not want to lay all of her cards on the table at once. He could understand that. There were quite a few things that he was not telling anyone, after all.

"I'm sorry Sir, I really can't say," she hedged.

"Do not vorry about it, _frauline,_" he said with a slight, knowing smile. "I vill look into the matter and help in any vay I can. You have the vord of a State Alchemist and a Heidrich."

* * *

Edward had a stitch in his side. It probably came from the fact that he was running as fast as he could towards the Village of Hogsmead without any help from the other professors. He had refused the broomsticks and the apparation, insisting that he would get there on his own, under his own power.

Power.

The epiphany struck Edward like a smack upside the head from his teacher. He grinned and clapped his hands together, rolled to the ground and planted them firmly in front of him. The earth rose up and he found himself riding a mound at a faster clip than he could run on a good day. It only took him minutes to arrive at the besieged village in this manner.

When he arrived Edward set to work right away, plunging headfirst into the pandemonium. He transmuted his automail arm plating so that it was a blade and headed straight for the closest Death Eater. He knocked the wand aside and plunged his blade into the villain's chest. The man gurgled, choking on his own blood. Edward wrenched the blade to the side to strike the heart. He jerked his arm away and moved in on the next. This one actually managed to get off a few curses that bounced off Edward's automail harmlessly. With a wicked grin of an avenging angel he clapped his hands and from the earth rose a hand of stone, catching and cradling it's victim before closing.

There was no one holding him back from fighting without conscience now.

Someone had set a shop on fire. Edward repeated the stunt he had pulled during his assessment and condensed the water in the air into rain that doused the flames. He spun around and punched another Death Eater in the jaw, following up with a heavy, automail backed kick to the stomach. The masked villain fell to the ground. Edward soon had him bound in stone, waiting for someone else to dispatch him. The Death Eater screamed furious curses as Edward crushed his wand beneath his heel, already dashing off to aid Tonks.

"Hey boy!" she called, ducking a blast of red light aimed for her head. "How are you holding up?"

"Better than you," he noted, dropping to one knee and manipulating the earth once more. A stone cage grew around the Death Eater that Tonks had been defending herself against. The ground he had been standing on softened, dragging him down, sucking him in past his knees. He waved his wand around desperately. Edward smirked. None of that, he thought and caught the Death Eater's hand with a lightening fast stone hand that squeezed until the wand fell to the earth, only to be lost. It was the fatal weakness of these magic people, Edward had noted long before, they were even more useless than Mustang in the rain without their wands.

"You do not mind if some die, do you?" he asked belatedly.

Tonks shot him a surprised glance. "We'd like to get them to trial but...."

"Mistakes can happen," he finished for her, nodding and narrowing his eyes. He took the time to take in the situation. There were a few other people fighting against the Death Eaters that Edward did not know but they seemed to know Tonks, so he counted them as possibly allies. And the Death Eaters? Another seven, all fighting and creating havoc.

We can't have that.

The Fullmetal Alchemist stalked forward, blade-arm out, hands at the ready. Exerting all the control he possessed he set the robes of the closest Death Eater on fire. Tried. He ended up roasting the man. Spontaneous Combustion, that was the only explanation, he would later insist. Very rare, you know, at it was a privilege to witness it, of course.

The next Death Eater unfortunate enough to cross his path ended up getting smacked on the base of the skull, knocking him senseless. The rest fell to Tonks and her friends. Soon enough the siege on Hogsmead was brought to a standstill, the bad guys beaten into submission.

Edward returned his arm to normal and fished out a fresh pair of gloves, surveying the destruction. It would take some rebuilding to restore the village, but it was not as destroyed as most of the war-ridden countryside that he had seen back in Amestris.

"You do good work, Edward," Tonks complimented softly, somewhat surprised at the ruthless efficiency of the foreign Alchemist.

"Tonks," interrupted a crag-faced man with the strangest eye Edward had ever seen, "Who is this boy?"

"_Oberst _Edvard Heidrich," Edward nodded smartly. "I am the Alchemy teacher at the school."

"You?" asked a scraggly man in patched clothing. Edward nodded again.

"Yeah, this is him," Tonks vouched.

"How many Death Eaters did you take down?" asked the scraggly man.

Edward shrugged. "All the vones in my vay. They vere much to veak for me to remember them all. I do not understand vhy they are such a problem."

"Weak..." Tonks laughed a little, looking strained. "You're just terror on two legs, Edward."

Edward shrugged again and spun around to inspect the poor mice in his traps. The Death Eater in the cage was screaming obscenities at the top of his lungs. Edward returned the cage to the ground and released the Death Eater's hand before striding forward and punching him square across the jaw, knocking him out. Now silenced Edward extracted him from the ground and left the Aurors to deal with him as they would.

He moved on to the one trapped in the stone fist. This one he dealt with with more care than the other, since he had not disarmed him before trapping him. Edward clapped his hands together and in an instant the stone hand was returned to the earth leaving the Death Eater to free fall to the ground. He landed heavily and the scraggly man hit him with a stunning spell. Edward nodded, getting to his feet again. He flicked his braid back over his shoulder and took a look around.

"It's going to take some vork to fix this mess," he sighed.

"But first we gotta get these guys to the Ministry," said Mr. Craggy-Face-and-Funny-Eye, scowling at the five survivors. The scraggly man pulled off their white masks, revealing their faces. Edward was surprised, mildly, that two of them were women.

"Vait," Edward said, looking confused and somewhat pained, "I vas fighting girls?" he frowned then shrugged fatalistically. "Oh vell." He had known far to many fighting women. It was hard to think of all women as gentle creatures when you had a teacher like Izumi Curtis and a friend like Winry. Yes, they did destroy that stereotype right off the bat.

"You don't seem too upset over the fact," Tonks commented, eying her colleague.

"You never knew my teacher," Edward closed his eyes and shuddered. "I learned at young age that not all vomen are gentle and that fighting them has no _schande._"

"A boy not afraid of hitting a woman? I don't know if I like that," Tonks frowned, raising an eyebrow at him.

"Only if she hit first," Edward stipulated. "Only vomen I fight vere my teacher and Lust..." he trailed off, grimacing. He should not have mentioned the homunculi.

"Hey, Tonks!" called the scraggly man. "Help us out here."

"Come on Edward," Tonks spun and jogged over to help the scraggly man and Mr. Craggy-face carry the apprehended criminals. Edward shrugged and followed. They already had most of them floating but Edward shouldered the last, and smallest, willing to carry the Death Eater himself.

"You sure you can carry her?" asked the scraggly man, looking unsure.

"_Ja,_ do not vorry about me," he said, smirking. "This is nothing."

"If you say so...."

"Hold on to your hats folks! Especially you Edward!" Tonks laughed and Edward was suddenly overcome by the most disconcerting sensation.

* * *

Edward knew he was out of shape. He was so out of shape that the minor altercation the night before had left him sore. It was a sign. He really had to work out more often.

But of course, Tonks did not see that. She was busy telling the other professors what a fighter he had been against the Death Eaters. He took the curiosity and open staring with practiced ease. In other words, he ignored the lot of them. He had a lot to think about anyways.

Last night the alarm had gone up in the school. Something about a Dark Mark hanging over Hogsmead. Edward had not understood but it was clear that Tonks was going off to fight so he decided to tag along. He knew where the village was, he had found it on one of his night expeditions a few weeks back. She had offered to let him come along on her 'apparation' once she got off Hogwarts' grounds. He had refused. She had offered to get him a broomstick so he could fly. He had refused that also. He would let the magic people have their magic, he would stick to alchemy.

After the short battle he was whisked – magically! - to the Ministry of Magic building to deal with the captured Death Eaters. Edward had not been pleased that he had been transported magically, not pleased in the slightest. But that was a matter to addressed at a later date.

Once at the Ministry building, and once he realized that was were they were, Edward unceremoniously dropped his cargo onto the floor, heedless of the damage he could have caused. Did he care? Not particularly. And why should he? They were not his concern once they were in the hands of the proper authorities. Why did he do it? Because he was ticked off. Why was he ticked off? Did they even ask if he wanted to tag along on their little magic ride?

The people at the Ministry were idiots, Edward had decided, bumbling fools who had no clue how to run a war. It had been so pathetic that Edward had had to leave. He ended up standing outside the building, watching people pass by until the scraggly man offered to take him back to the school. And as loath as he was to allow himself be hauled about the countryside by magic he had to agree. It was either that or take the unknown amount of time walking. And he had responsibilities. Which he had to start doing.

Edward sighed. He pulled out his pen and a piece of paper from his notebook. He could at least make a draft for the report he had to write. That would at least make it look like he was too busy to deal with the curiosity of the other professors.

* * *

_To: Major General Roy Mustang, Flame Alchemist _

_From: Colonel Edward Elric, Fullmetal Alchemist _

_Subject: Mission update_

_Major General,_

_Contact has been made with Hermione Granger, friend of Harry Potter. She has asked my assistance in locating Potter and Weasley and I have agreed. On the Dark Lord, as far as I have learned he has somehow managed to split his soul into pieces and tie them to physical objects called _Horcruz_. This is apparently forbidden here as well. _

_The Village of Hogsmead, some two or three miles from the School, has been attacked. Several minions of the Dark Lord, known here as _Death Eaters_, attacked around midnight. Miss Tonks, myself as well as two other _Aurors_ engaged them in battle. Only five of the _Death Eaters_ survived. Their goal is hitherto unknown to me as I was not permitted to be present during their questioning._

_Since the attack I have been the object of some speculation amongst the teachers. Although they saw our duel I do not believe they truly believed that I would be a valuable asset to this battle. Miss Tonks has told them about the skirmish in Hogsmead, highlighting my part in it, and I think that they might finally be convinced of my ability. _

Edward looked out the window, nibbling on the end of his pen. It was the weekend so he did not have to worry about classes. It was also morning and he had the whole day ahead of him with many things he wanted to do. And he wanted to get this report out of the way.

_I plan on scouting out the Village further with hopes of learning why the _Death Eaters_ would have attacked it in such numbers. I will do this over the weekend since I have no classes to teach now. _

_Edward Elric, Fullmetal Alchemist _

Edward folded the report and sealed it. He tucked it into his coat pocket and pulled himself to his feet. His automail was starting to ache with with cold. One downside of having metal implants is that you end up knowing exactly when it starts getting cold or hot. People wondered why he did not take his long-sleeved shirt off in the hight of the summer heat, but they did not understand that if he did it would only be worse. At least with the cloth covering the metal there was a barrier between the worse of the sun's heat and the automail. What was no fun was what was passing as autumn here. It was as cold as winter back home! Edward dreaded what winter would be like here.

He locked his office behind him and headed deep into the halls, hoping to make good time to the Owlry. Sometimes he could find it right off the bat and other days the halls and staircases decided to be difficult. It still bothered him, this magic business.

Grimacing he rubbed at the skin at the edge of his shoulder automail port. The castle was chilly this morning and he had not yet taken the time to alter his wardrobe to something warmer. He really should get doing that.

"Hello Professor," giggled a brunet girl that Edward did not recognize. He nodded, acknowledging her, and continued on his way.

"Edward." It was McGonagall. Edward turned and forced a smile for the Headmistress.

"_Ja, Frau_ McGonagall?" he asked.

"Do you have a minute?"

No, he wanted to say, I have things I have to do and places to go! But he could not say that, much as he desperately wanted to.

"Of course. Vhat can I do for you?"

"Could you please come with me?"

What! He screamed internally, Another detour? Can't you people just leave me alone? I do have work to do you know!

"Of course," he sighed, slouching and shoving his hands into his pockets. McGonagall raised an eyebrow at the tepid show of irritation but swept down the hall, expecting him to follow. With a heavy sigh and feeling like he was being punished for something, he trailed after her. McGonagall led him to the staff room. Every British adult he had met since coming here was there, even the two Aurors from Hogsmead.

"Vhat is going on?" he asked, trying not to look nervous. He was doing a very good job at it too.

"Please take a seat Edward," McGonagall directed. Edward shrugged and seated himself on the nearest chair. He looked about the room, noting the wary and confused looks that every one present was giving him.

"Who are you, boy," asked Mr. Craggy-face.

"Edvard Heidrich, and you?" Edward did not even bat an eye at the bluntness of the question and the man's tone.

The man's eyes narrowed. "Alistair Moody. And that is not your name. We did some checking up on you and there is no Heidrich in the Amestris State Alchemist division."

Ah. Oh. Uh oh. Edward coughed, surprised that they had even thought to do a background check on him. Quick! He thought, Hedge! "Vhat do you mean? Of course there is. Me, Edvard Heidrich, _Oberst._"

"No. No Edward Heidrich at all." Scraggly man sighed, shaking his head, "Do not think we are fools."

No, they were not fools, that much was unfortunately obvious. "Fine. Heidrich is a not real name, is that vhat you vant to hear?"

"We just want to know who you are."

"For truth?" he raised an eyebrow. The scraggly man nodded slowly, his gaze unwavering.

"For truth."

Edward sighed and grimaced. "I get into trouble if I tell you. But if I do not... _ja,_ I vill tell. myname is _Oberst _Edvard Elric, Fullmetal Alchemist." The eyes of some professors and all of the aurors widened. He nodded distractedly, "_Generalmajor_ Mustang vanted me to take the name Heidrich so I will not catch attention. Fullmetal and Elric are two very known names, are they not?"

Tonks squeaked. "You're the Fullmetal Alchemist?"

"_Ja."_

"But..." the scraggly man frowned, "the Fullmetal Alchemist has been around for years!"

"_Ja._ I vas accepted as State Alchemist at twelve." Edward nodded matter-of-factly.

"So that's what you meant when you said that you were never as young as the students!" Tonks cried, finally understanding. "But how did you manage to make it so young? Doesn't the army have an age limit?"

"_Generalmajor_ Mustang spoke for me." Edward shrugged. "He had seen vhat I could do vhen he answered a letter I had sent. Vell, he had seen some of vhat I could do. _Oma_ had cleaned up the... vorst of the mess."

"What you could do?" asked Flanagan, the potions professor.

Edward hesitated. "That is... classified. Forgive me, but I can not tell you. Just as there are thing about yourselves that you do not vish to speak about this is one I do not vish to speak about. It is... private."

Moody frowned at him. Edward was unmoved. Most everyone else else regarded him with a hint of confusion and annoyance. Edward was still unmoved. That was one plus of being a stubborn, insubordinate brat with a gigantic rebellious streak. Nothing seemed to intimidate you then.

"Does this have anything to do with that 'Var-height' thing you're always talking about and warning your students against" Tonks asked slowly.

Edward almost twitched. He shrugged instead. "I said, that is classified. Not even our new Fuhrer knows, it is that secret. I can not tell you."

"Boy!" snapped one of the professors that Edward did not know well. If he recalled properly he was the professor of astronomy or something like that. "Show some respect to your elders and just answer the question!"

Edward laughed. "I give respect vhere it is deserved," he said between amused chuckles, "and I do not take orders vell."

"So we had heard," Moody grunted. "But if you're the Fullmetal Alchemist then why were you given a name like that?"

With a fatalistic shrug Edward tugged off his right glove and pushed the sleeve up his arm. Sliver metal was bared to the eyes of the professors and the Aurors. "This is vhy." he said, flexing the fingers. "This is called 'automail' and I got it vhen I vas eleven."

"Is that muggle technology?" asked another professor he did not know personally. He had, of course, had a background check done of the new professor. The woman scuttled to Edward's side to get a better look at his arm. "Fascinating! How is it that it functions inside Hogwarts?"

Edward hesitated. "I do not know," he shrugged. "Should it not? You vould have to ask Vinry, my_ mechaniker,_ she made it for me. She made new one for me before I left for here."

"So that's why you're always wearing gloves," Tonks mused. "And then it must have been this automail that you used as a weapon at Hogsmead."

"_Ja._ That is so," he nodded, giving the Muggle Studies professor an odd look as the woman continued to examine his arm.

"But... how did you get a metal arm?"

"Saving my_ Bruder_ during a var. I lost my arm then and Vinry and _Oma_ gave me a new one." The lie was getting to be all too easy to say. Edward reclaimed his arm and covered it up again. His golden eyes impassively surveyed the group of gathered adults. "Is there anything else you vish to ask me?"

"Is there anything you want to tell us?" someone shot back at him.

Edward snorted and frowned at the adults around him. "Did I vant to tell you vhat I did? _Nein._ Is there anything else I vant to tell you? I am going to get into trouble vit' the _Generalmajor_ just for telling you vhat I have. So, if that is all?" He stood and nodded to the gathered group before striding out of the staff room and into the chilly halls. He had to get back to his rooms and write another note to the Major General. Mustang would have to be informed that he had been found out.

It would be another hour before Edward actually managed to make it to the Owlry and send off his reports to Mustang. He had written about the little interrogation in a recipe-code that he knew the Major General was familiar with, marking the note 'Just a little something I clipped out of the Newspaper' just in case other people were reading the reports. Unless the person was a trained cryptographer or an alchemist the note would look just like any other recipe. But it was a recipe that would warrant a reply.

By the time Edward got out of the school he was not in a very cheerful mood. He had hoped, rather foolishly he realized, that he would not have been found out this early. It was rather embarrassing. He could almost hear the Major General's reaction. Edward scowled.

Once he was out of sight of the castle he clapped his hands together and repeated what he had done the night before. Again the ground swelled up beneath him and he was carried away by the earth towards the Village, still crouching low to touch the ground at his feet. This time he could take the time to admire the way the land rushed past him. It was like the times when he had had the opportunity to travel on the top of trains, only closer to the ground and with less bullets flying around him. And for some reason that made it just that much more enjoyable.

When Edward finally stopped manipulating the earth for his own travel usage he was, from what he could remember, only a few minutes walk from the Village. He stood and dusted off his gloves, straightened his shirt and coat and started walking, like any normal person.

Rebuilding was well underway, he noted. That was good.

Someone stopped him, asking what he was doing here since they did not recognize him. He smiled and said that he was here to help with the rebuilding, truthfully telling them that he was the Alchemy Professor this year at Hogwarts. Of course, as he had come to expect, no one believed him. He offered to fix a building that had some serious structural damage done to it. A few people paused to watch. Without making a big production of it Edward clapped his hands together and planted them on the ground. Blue light flared and the building snapped sharply back into its proper shape. There was a ripple of awed whispers behind him as he stood, dusting his hands off.

"That was amazing!" exclaimed a man in bright blue trousers and a dark green shirt.

"Does anything else need fixing?" Edward asked, looking around.

"Were you the one here last night, Boy?" asked a tall woman with dark brown hair. "Were you the one fighting with the Aurors?"

Edward smiled and got to work.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

**Honesty's Policy Enforced**

There was something strange going on in Hogwarts, Edward noted. He could not be sure but he had a feeling that it had something to do with the sudden influx of giant pumpkins and activity amongst the ghosts. Perhaps he was wrong but he sincerely doubted it.

The air was getting even colder and it was raining even more than Edward had ever seen in his entire life. Even more than that time the river was going to flood the village and he first met his teacher. And he had though that the world was going to end in a flood at that time! It had been nice that he had been wrong but now he was beginning to have his doubts. It was unnatural for it to rain for this long! Whatever happened to sunny days and arid heat? At this rate his automail was going to rust just from the moisture in the air! Winry would kill him and it wouldn't even have been his fault!

Sometimes he wondered if there was a God and if that God hated him.

"What's got you down, Edward?" asked Tonks. She was one of the few professors who had not taken to avoiding him ever since their little interrogation episode. He had noticed, much to his amusement, that she and the scraggly man, who had learned was called Remus Lupin, were pretty friendly. Friendly as in how the school had thought he and Mustang were friendly.

"It's cold out," Edward complained, wanting to bend down and rub at the automail port on his leg. "Does it alvays rain this much?"

"Welcome to Britain, Kid," she laughed. "Land of Rain. Doesn't rain this much back in Amestris?"

"_Nein._ Vell, vonce it did, vhen I was a child." He frowned. "That vas vhen my_ Bruder_ and I met our teacher."

"How old were you?"

Edward thought about it. "Ten," he said at last.

"That's pretty young," she said slowly. Edward shrugged. He hadn't felt young then. He had been looking after himself and Alphonse for a year by then and was seriously planning on doing one of the most forbidden acts known to the Alchemical world. No, that was not something a child could do. He had not been young.

"I suppose," he ended up shrugging.

"You're English is getting better," she complimented. "I've noticed you can say 'th's now."

"I have been trying," Edward shrugged.

"By the way," she turned and regarded the alchemist with serious eyes, "there are some professors who are pressing to know what your specialty is. You said it's classified and I can respect that, having worked with your government and all, but some of the others don't know you like I do. They're making a big deal out of it."

"_Wunderbar,"_ he grimaced. "They do not know that I could be killed for saying vhat it is. Not even _Generalmajor_ Mustang has power to let them know."

"That secret, is it?"

"The only reason vhy G_eneralmajor_ Mustang knows is because he found me before I got my_ automail,_" he shook his head. "I vas a fool and I lived. And because of that he spoke for me vhen I vanted to join the army as State Alchemist."

"And that's the only reason why he knows what your specialty is?"

"_Ja,"_ Edward sighed.

Tonks didn't know what to think. Here was a boy, not even out of his teenage years, that had done something as a child that could not even be spoken about and if it was he would be killed. Why? What in the world was so terrible? What could Edward have possibly done as a child that would be considered important enough for the military to consider it a secret? There were so many questions and no answers.

"So what am I supposed to tell the others?" she asked at last.

Edward shrugged. "I do not know. It is none of their trouble vhat I can do, is it?"

"We are in the middle of a war," Tonks sighed, running her hand through her vibrant purple hair. "People are suspicious."

Ha! The people here did not know the meaning of the word suspicious, Edward thought. Unless Envy was around at least you knew that the person you were talking to really was really the person you were talking to. Fighting against the shape-shifter was enough to break anyone, even Edward. Having to transmute the image of his mother as she plead with him not to do it....

If he hadn't known that it was Envy and if he hadn't been trying to get Alphonse's body back for him he would not have been able to do it.

Edward shook his head, trying to clear the memories. Think of something else, he told himself, there's no point dwelling in the past.

"Edward?" Tonks called.

"Hm?" Edward looked up.

"Got something on your mind?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

He shook his head again. "Nothing," he said slowly. "It is nothing."

"You sure? You look kinda ill."

"I am _gut_," he insisted. "But vhy are there so many... _krübis_ inside the castle?"

"So many what?"

"_Krübis,"_ Edward said, motioning to one of the giant pumpkins.

"Oh, pumpkins," Tonks nodded, understanding. "They're for Hallowe'en, didn't you know?"

"Hallove'en... right." He shrugged. "I had forgot about that."

"Not a big fan of holidays?"

"No time," he waved a hand negligently, not elaborating further. He was not the kind of person who was in the habit of regaling people with tales of his exploits, even if said tales would explain why he had forgotten that Hallowe'en had even existed. Holidays weren't big on his priority list when there were homunculi to kill and his brother's body to restore not to mention a needy Colonel, now Major General, to put up with. It was a strange fact but true nevertheless.

Of course, now that the homunculi had been dealt with and Alphonse's body had been restored that only left the needy Major General, which was more than enough to put up with on a good day. And said Major General had him busy fixing what the homunculi had broken in their covert reign of terror. It was sad to think that fixing the damage was taking more time than fighting the entire war. Edward was constantly being shunted from one city to another town fixing entire blocks at a time and reorganizing people so that they could get back to life as they had known it before Bradley.

And why was Edward the one assigned to this monumental task? Because the name 'Fullmetal' had gotten so infamous that even though he was a Dog of the Military people would willingly listen to him. A plus in Edward's favor and one reason why he had been promoted against his will.

But even rebuilding could not last forever and soon enough, about a year back, Edward had been recalled to do desk work like a good Colonel should. And he hated it. Even though he hated it he was bound and determined not to turn into a younger copy of Mustang and have to have someone breathing down his neck just to get the paperwork in on time. Thus he spent many a night holed up in his office going over reports and signing requisitions. Mind-numbingly dull work.

Which is why it was such a relief to get assigned out-country even if it was to a teaching position.

"Professor Heidrich, Professor Tonks." It was Hermione. The brunette bookworm smiled shyly at the two professors... or rather at the younger of the two professors. But did Edward notice? Would he be oblivious if he did?

"_Guten tag, Frauline_ Granger," Edward said amiably.

"Hello Hermione," smiled Tonks. "What can we do for you?"

"Well," she blushed a little. "I was going to ask Professor Heidrich a question."

"Oh?" Tonks shot Edward an amused glance. It was clear she was seeing what he was missing. Edward raised an eyebrow.

"Well," she said again, "I was wondering if you had found anything on Harry and Ron."

"Hm?" Edward turned back to Hermione. "Not yet. No one seems to have seen either _Herr_ Potter or _Herr_ Weasley. But if they are trying not to be seen then they are doing a _gut_ job." he spread his hands helplessly. "I vill continue to look but I can not promise anything."

"Thank you," she smiled a little and scurried down the corridor towards the Great Hall, probably for lunch.

Tonks regarded Edward, who had gone back to staring out the window in front of him, with a hint of amusement. She shook her head. "No, it would be to easy," she said at last, heading down for the Hall herself.

"Vhat?" Edward stared at her back, confused. He scuttled after her, "Vhat?"

* * *

Breakfast the next morning saw Edward with another letter from home. It had arrived, delivered by a tawny barn owl right onto his eggs, in the midst of the morning mail rush. Edward had checked the return address before ripping it open and scanning the contents. He raised an eyebrow. The letter itself was from Winry in response to his last letter to her in which he posed a question: how exactly did his automail work?

The answer could have been a dissertation for a doctorate, it was so long.

Edward whistled low and leafed through the pages. Winry had outdone herself with this, outdone and overshot what he had expected. Then again, he should have expected something like this, knowing Winry's passion for her craft. He sure hoped this would answer that professor's question. Too bad it was all in German. It looked like Edward had yet another project in his lap.

"What's that?" Tonks asked, leaning over and trying to read the extensive missive.

"From Vinry," he sighed. "I asked how my _automail_ vorks...."

"Woo..." The electric blue haired Auror looked intimidated.

"_Ja,"_ Edward agreed. "I never ask before."

"She making up for lost time or something?" Tonks was still amazed. Not surprising since the stack of papers was probably a full centimeter thick, written double-sided. If Edward had thought she had sent more than enough in maintenance instructions then this blew that out of the water.

"I hope not," Edward shuddered. "But now I have to write this in _Englisch_. That vill take time." He crammed the dissertation back in the envelope and poked at his food.

"That's going to be a project and a half." Tonks did not envy her colleague that task, it was obvious.

* * *

It happened when Edward was walking back to his rooms after dinner. He had his hands shoved carelessly into his pockets and was not paying much attention at all to what was going on around him. It was just as he turned a corner that his battle-sensitized reflexes kicked in and he narrowly missed getting hit with a lance of red light.

"_Was?"_ He blinked, not staying in one place for longer than necessary. He took in his situation while coming up from a roll, his golden eyes flashing dangerously. Three people in black robes and white masks. Death Eaters in Hogwarts. Wonderful.

Edward clapped his hands and transmuted his automail into a blade. He brought his arm up and sliced the nearest wand in two. Dodging the spells the other two shot at him he ducked to the floor again and sunk the first Death Eater knee-deep in stone. He leaped at the second, rushing in and narrowly missing being stuck by a shot of blue light. He dropped low and swept the interloper's feet out from under him. The Death Eater dropped to the floor, his head cracking sickly against the stone.

The third Death Eater, seeing his situation, turned to flee. Edward clapped his hands and stone bars blocked the way. The last invader stopped short. Then he dropped like a stone.

Edward cheered inwardly. His aim was awesome! One small rock rested by the third Death Eater, looking quite out of place in the tidy hall.

"What are you!?" screamed the first Death Eater furiously.

Edward sighed and slouched down the hall to drag the unconscious bodies into a neat heap. He spared the minions of evil no pity, dropping them unceremoniously to the floor once he had them where he wanted them. The first Death Eater continued screaming obscenities at him. It was getting on Edward's nerves.

So he spun around and clipped him on the chin with his metal fist. Silence descended and the Death Eater slumped forward, out like a light. Edward extracted him from the floor and dumped him on top of the others.

Now what to do with them? Edward supposed he should tell McGonagall or one of the other professors. And Tonks. Alright then. With that decided Edward made sure to secure the interlopers to the floor, manacled hand and foot, before he jogged away. It took him several minutes to locate Tonks and McGonagall, then several more to brief them on what had happened and guide them to his victims.

"Dear Heavens," McGonagall gasped, catching sight of the damage Edward had done.

"Did they annoy you, Edward?" Tonks laughed, feeling a little uncertain.

"_Nein."_ Edward shook his head. "They attacked me."

"And you just defended yourself," the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor shook her head and bent down to unmask the three.

Both she and McGonagall gasped in horrified shock, their faces twisting into masks of amazed hatred. Edward frowned.

* * *

"It looks like _wasser_," Edward frowned, peering into the vial of _veritaserum_.

"It's not." Flanagan scowled and plucked the vial out if the Alchemist's fingers. They were down in one of the lower dungeon rooms, the three Death Eaters and a select few of the professors. It was cold and damp and Edward was waiting for something to take his mind off how much his automail ports were aching. He frowned at the fact that that the vial of water-like liquid had been taken from him.

"I could feel that," he snapped irritably. "Vhat do you think I am? Student? I am State Alchemist."

"Cool it, Edward," Tonks sighed.

Edward frowned at her too. "It is cold here," he complained. "Vake t'em up so I can beat the information out of t'em."

"There will be no beating," McGonagall decreed. She stared at him sharply over the rim of her glasses. Edward grumbled and backed down a little. How did they expect to get any useful information out of them if they weren't going to interrogate them? What in the world were they planning on doing? Having a tea party? In all honesty, at this point, Edward would not put it past the strange British people.

One of the professors pointed his wand at one of the Death Eaters and said something Edward could not understand. The Death Eater stirred, waking long before he should have given how hard Edward had hit him. Flanagan forced the man's mouth open and carefully dropped in three drops of the water-like liquid. Edward watched, silent and confused. He shifted uncomfortably, trying to relieve the ache that was growing in his left leg.

"Hello Severus," said McGonagall with as much warmth as a freezer burned piece of chicken left in the snow in the dead of a Russian winter night.

* * *

Edward ran his gloved finger over the spines of the books in the library, particularly the ones on advance potions making. What he had seen last night was far too intriguing to let rest as it was, he had to know what it was exactly that they had used on the Death Eaters to get them to talk like they did. _Veritaserum_, Tonks had called it when he had asked. Now all he had to do was find it in this badly cataloged library.

When he did at last find a promising book he took it to a well lit corner to peruse at leisure. There was no index, something he was used to but hated nonetheless. So, with all the practice that years of reading obscure texts and journals had granted him, he skimmed. His eyes expertly skipped over the 'junk information' that he was not looking for until he found a word that looked something like what he desired. _Veritaserum,_ a powerful truth potion that, once ingested, will impel the drinker to speak nothing but the truth. There is no known way to counteract it, and no way to fight against its effects.

Sounds useful, Edward mused, and yet very frightening. No taste, no smell, no colour, it was like water in every way other than chemical composition, if the ingredient list had anything to say. If someone slipped that into his drinks there would be much badness following.

Better check all of his drinks from now on, just to be on the safe side. Better safe than courtmartialed. Besides, the Major General would never let him live it down if he got drugged... again.

He was still having a time living down the last time someone had through they could drug and kidnap him. Fools. What they did not know was that they were kidnapping the Fullmetal Alchemist and that he was not a happy camper when waking up in a cold, stone room, hands and feet tied after sleeping off a healthy dose of drugs. Not a happy camper at all. And an unhappy Edward Elric was a scary Edward Elric, or so he had been told.

As it was the kidnappers had ended up ruing the day their boss had laid eyes of the blond Alchemist. Once the military had shown up – Mustang, his men and Alphonse – the terrorists were surrendering willingly, putting the handcuffs on themselves. It had been somewhat comical to hear about later on, since he had not seen it himself, busy on some of the upper floors of the building beating others into submission. In hindsight it had been almost fun.

Hindsight. Hindsight was a wonderful thing. Hindsight was what forced him to realize the magnitude of his sins, taught him what not to do next time, made the life threatening seem like pleasant memories...

Odd how that was.

Edward closed the book and reshelved it where he had found it. He shoved his hands into his pockets and strolled out of the library as casually as you please. He made a beeline for his rooms, going over what he had to write in his report.

A bell chimed in the halls. Edward frowned. What time of day was it? Oh, right, it was lunch. Well, he supposed, the report could wait. So, he changed his direction, angling for the Great Hall and food.

He was among the first to arrive and when he did he was accosted by an owl who dropped a letter on his head. Edward frowned, picking it up and opening it as he made his way to his seat. By the time he was seated he was grinning and shoving the note into his pants pocket. If every cloud had some silver lining and every day must have a highlight than this note was his.

_Quarry sighted in Hogsmead. Checked in under false name. Contact soon if you have intent to._

That was all it had said, but that was exactly what he had been looking for. And the three sentences said more to Edward than what they said to the world. Potter was on the same trail that the Death Eaters were, admittedly slower since he was not getting his information directly from the source. But he was near, smart enough to hide his identity and on the move. Edward's estimation of the boy rose a half notch.

"Good news Edward?" Tonks asked as she slipped into her seat, her hair a subdued peach.

"You could say that," he smiled happily. Down amongst the ranks of the students several girls had to leave because of nosebleeds.

"May I ask?"

"Someone found something I vas looking for. Can you blame me for being happy?" his smile was so innocent Tonks knew something was up. She said as much. Edward laughed, shrugging. "You can come vit' me if you vant. I vill be going to Hogsmead tonight after dinner."

"Why?" the Defense professor tilted her head to one side, blatantly curious.

Edward shrugged again. "To meet someone," was all he would say.

* * *

Hogsmead looked as if it had not seen an assault from the minions of the Dark Lord Volde-whatever-his-name-was-supposed-to-be, Edward noted happily. He and Tonks strolled merrily through the little village to the one pub, the Three Broomsticks. He vaguely recalled fixing it last time he had shown his face here in daylight. Well, if anyone recognized him he just might be able to cadge free drinks. That would be nice.

"So who are you planning on meeting here?" Tonks asked, looking around as they shouldered their way into the common room of the well-lit tavern. There were not that many people inside. With the recent attack still fresh in everyone's mind few of the locals were venturing out of their homes at night.

"I hear you know him," Edward said, looking around as well. "But please, do not make scene vhen you see him."

"Why would I..." she was cut off when Edward exclaimed happily and strode confidently to a corner table where two young men were seated.

"Pardon me," he said amiably, "but can my friend and I join you?"

Green-brown eyes almost hidden beneath mussy brown hair stared up at him, obviously weighing his potential danger. Edward did his best to look harmless, something that he was very good at when he put his mind to it. The green-brown eyed boy's companion, an equally brown haired boy, frowned. Their hands tucked themselves away underneath the scrubbed tabletop, reaching for, Edward was certain, their wands.

"Sure," said the first boy. Edward motioned Tonks into the seat closer to the wall and he took the one remaining.

"Myname is Edvard Heidrich," Edward introduced himself, "and you know _Frau_ Tonks already, _Herr _Potter, _Herr_ Veasley." All three others at the table started at stared at him as he continued to smile, "Your friend _Frauline_ Granger has been quite vorried about you. She asked that if I vas able to contact you that I pass on a message."

"I think you're mistaken," said the first boy.

"_Nein. Nein, _I am not," Edward sat back. "Your disguise is _sehr gut_. But I am not Vizard and your hair dye is spotted in the back, you do not relax, you are drinking mild alcohol and you could not stop looking at _Frau_ Tonks vhen ve came in. If you vant to get better at hiding who you are then forget your past and who you vere. But, as for vhat _frauline _Granger vanted me to tell you...."

"Wait a moment, Edward," Tonks held up a hand. "I got some questions to ask these boys first." She stared hard at the boys, her hair fading to a dangerous inky black. The two boys quailed. "What in the world do you think you are doing?" she hissed. "Do you know just how worried about both of you we've been?"

"Someone has to go after him, Tonks," Harry said stubbornly.

"And that somevone is you?" Edward shook his head, smiling. "I am certain that I vas never as foolish."

"I don't know," Tonks shot Edward a impatient glance. "I've heard some pretty weird stories about you."

"Who are you?" demanded the brow-haired Ron, his expression and tone distrusting.

"_Oberst_ Edvard Heidrich, Alchemy Professor at the school." He nodded smartly and waved the lady serving drinks over, ordering some for himself and Tonks. "_Frauline_ Granger asked me to give you message. She vants to know vhy you have not written her since the school term has began and that she may have some information for you," he recited placidly. Through his golden eyelashes Edward noted with some amusement that both Harry and Ron looked guilty and uncomfortable with the reminder on how remiss they had been in keeping on contact with their good friend.

"How did you know we were here?" Ron asked in lieu of addressing the message.

Edward smirked. "I have vays," was his enigmatic answer. "I have practice in finding people who are better at hiding than you are. But I also have my own reason for looking for you."

Now Harry, Ron and Tonks all stared at him, wary and silent. Edward noted this and schooled his expression to one of mild curiosity and disarming innocence, something that Tonks knew was a front but the boys did not.

"What is it?" Harry asked.

"_Frauline_ Granger says that you have been looking for some things called Horcruz," he said without preamble.

It was amazing how quickly defenses flew up. Edward had never been very good with tact and pussyfooting around subjects. Subterfuge and manipulation was Mustang's forte. And it was obvious that Harry and Ron were just as bad about hiding their reactions and feelings. Tonks... well, she was just plain shocked to her toes, her hair paling to a sick shade of green.

"_Ja."_ Edward nodded, seeming for all intents and purposes to have not noticed the reactions, "that is vhat she called them. And I remember finding something that resembles vhat she described them as inside the school, around vhere I found the Death Eaters last night,_ Frau_ Tonks," he nodded absently to Tonks.

"What?" Tonks sounded slightly ill.

"Do not vorry," he grinned and sat back in his chair. "Only two people know vhere it is now and only one knows vhat it is. It is safe."

"Where is it?" Harry demanded. Edward was unmoved.

"Safe. How many more have you found and how many are there?"

Three sets of eyes just stared at him, all of them too dumbstruck to answer. Ah, yes, Edward thought, he had exhausted all of his reserves when it came to tact. Then again, there was nothing wrong with shock treatment every once in a while.

"So?" he prompted after several minutes of silence.

"Who are you?" Harry repeated his friend's question.

Edward sighed and rubbed his temple with his left hand. "_Oberst _Edvard Heidrich, Alchemy Professor and State Alchemist of Amestris. Binding souls is something I know _gut _and if someone has been doing that then it is my business to stop them. It is _verboten,_ is it not, by your laws as well as mine?"

"It is," Tonks agreed slowly. "But how did you find one and how did you know what it was?"

"I did not know vhat it vas until later," Edward corrected. "And you could say that I have experience vit' bound souls, vitch is vhy I am asking _Herr_ Potter and _Herr_ Veasley what I have."

"How do we know we can trust you? We don't even know you!" Harry hissed. Edward could see his hand again inching to where he undoubtedly had his wand hidden. Edward held up his hands.

"I have nothing to fight vit'," he said, knowing that Tonks knew that he didn't need weapons to be dangerous but betting that the two boys would take the gesture at face value. And while they relaxed a little their hands did not move from their wands. Edward shrugged internally. "I ask because I know you cannot kill people vithout the soul and that people can not be alive vithout the soul. If the..." he glanced about the room a little, checking for listeners, "Person you are after has bound his soul to something, or even several something, then his soul must be returned to him before you can kill him."

"How do you know this?"

Edward shook his head and smiled as the lady serving drinks brought their orders. He thanked her politely and sniffed the strange beverage. Casually, not gaining attention to the gesture, he brushed his palms together and picked the mug up once more. Again he sniffed the drink, this time nodding approval. Tonks caught this and wondered what he had done to it.

"How do I know?" he asked at last after taking a pleased sip of the warm beverage. "Because I am Edvard Heidrich and it is vhat I know."

"What kind of answer is that?" Ron demanded, frowning fiercely.

"The only one he's allowed to give you." Tonks sighed and took a deep pull on her own drink, looking quite tired. "Edward's good, boys, you can trust him. Hermione does and so do I."

Edward shrugged, unaffected by the sudden change in how the two boys were staring at him. He took another sip from his drink and stared back, his golden eyes reflecting the light like a cat. He knew people tended to underestimate him due to his age and size and it was something he used to his advantage when ever it worked best for him. And he sure hoped that this would be one of those times.

"We have them up in our room," Harry capitulated at last.

"I know," Edward said, "I can feel them. But I asked how many you have."

"Eight."

"And do you know how many there are?"

"Thirteen."

"Of course..." Edward sighed. It was either thirteen or six hundred and sixty-six. Either would do but the latter would be too much work, even for a paranoid evil villain.

"So that's five left?" Tonks frowned.

"Four," Edward corrected her. "I found one, remember?"

"One was destroyed in our second year," Ron commented.

"Three," Edward nodded.

"And we know that Voldemort-" Tonks and Ron winced, "has two."

"So that leaves one more," the alchemist nodded and stared contemplatively into the depth of his drink. "Do you know vhere it could be?"

"Not right now. We were going to head up to Hogwarts to get the one you found," Harry shook his head and frowned.

"Sorry," Edward laughed a little.

"Don't worry. At least you got to it before the Death Eaters did," Harry said pragmatically.

"Luck I vas valking there vhen I vas," Edward shrugged. "But that does not matter now and your friend, _Frauline_ Granger, is vishing that you vould write her more than you have in the last months." It was a blatant reminder in their remiss actions towards their female friend. Both Harry and Ron flushed in embarrassment.

"May I ask why you stopped writing Hermione?" Tonks asked, propping her head on one hand and regarding them with a raised eyebrow.

"Uh..." Harry and Ron looked at each other nervously.

"Well, you see," Ron coughed, "We didn't want her getting into trouble because of us."

"Really?" Tonks drawled, clearly wanting more than that weak excuse.

"Understandable," Edward nodded, "but unwise to do as you did."

"What do you mean?"

"Vell," Edward frowned, trying to think how to explain it best, "if you do not write they get vorried, do they not? Vhen I write my _Bruder_ and my_ mechaniker_ and _Oma_ I do not tell of vhat danger is happen. It is, oh, things doing _gut _and I am glad you have kitten. That vay they do not vorry about me. Try it." He grinned a little and winked. "_Frauline_ Granger has been very vorried about you. Just tell you are doing_ gut _and she vill be happy."

"Yeah," Tonks agreed, "Hermione just wants to know you two are alive. She's been thinking you were dead... or worse."

"Sorry," they muttered in unison, looking quite guilty.

"Well you should be," said the female professor smartly. "Better yet, write her a note now and we'll take it back to her tonight."

"_Gut_ idea. Do that," Edward seconded the motion and waved a gloved hand dictatorially. "And another thing, destroy the horcruz you have."

* * *

"Edward," Tonks sighed, stretching tiredly, "how in the world did you know that Harry and Ron were at the Three Broomsticks tonight?"

"That is my business, _Frau_ Tonks," Edward laughed.

"Well, it would be nice to know," she grumbled, "even if it's just to be able to explain it to the others."

"Do vhat I do and ignore them." Edward tilted his head back and stared up at the night sky through the skeletal branches of the trees that lined the road to Hogwarts. It was far past the midnight hour and the moon was high and large in the sky. Dark clouds scudded in front of the stars, lit artistically around their edges by the silver light of the moon. Down on the earth the trees cast dark shadows, almost obscuring the wide road. Tonks had her wand held out in front of her, the tip alight with some spell of hers. Edward almost wished she did not have that spell active because it was playing havoc with his night vision, making it harder rather than easier to see.

A most interesting problem, to be sure.

"I can't just ignore them like you do, Edward," she huffed.

"Vhy not?"

"Because unlike you I actually talk to other people. I'm not quite so introverted."

"Intro...?" he cocked his head to the side, trying to puzzle out the new word.

"Directed inward, private, not-outgoing," she explained.

"Ah. _Danke._"

"You're welcome," Tonks paused. "You know, Edward, your English has gotten quite good since you first got here."

"_Danke,"_ he said again. A stiff breeze howled through the trees, whipping at Edward's long red coat and pulling playfully at his hair. He pushed his bangs out of his eyes more than once before giving up.

"Come on, let's hurry," Tonks urged.

"_Ja, ja,"_ Edward muttered, trotting after the woman. Heavens knew why he asked her along with him on this little excursion into town. He could have gone about his business just as well without her and then he wouldn't have another witness and innocent bystander to worry about if worst came to worst. Oh well, he thought, at least she could take care of herself in a fight.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

**In Uniform**

_To: Major General Roy Mustang, Flame Alchemist_

_From: Colonel Edward Elric, Fullmetal Alchemist _

_Subject: Report_

_Major General,_

_Concerning the Death Eater that was reported to have killed the previous Headmaster of the school Hogwarts, Severus Snape. This man, along with two others, was found in Hogwarts searching for something hitherto unknown. I encountered them on my way to my rooms for the night and dealt with them accordingly, as they attacked me first. _

Edward chewed on the end of his pen, wondering if that sounded to childish. He shrugged and went back to writing. Not like it really mattered.

_During the interrogation, in which I was no part of save as a listener, it was revealed that they were in the school to look for one of the _Horcruz_ that house Voldemort's soul. They did not find it before I found them. _

_An interesting fact learned during the interrogation: Albus Dumbledore asked Severus Snape to kill him. When asked why Snape said it was because no one in the government would take action with Dumbledore alive. Even now the Government does not truly believe that Voldemort is alive once more. They have taken no action, that I have noticed or heard about._

_Last night I made contact with Harry Potter and Ronald Weasley in Hogsmead. Now I know that all but one of the Horcruz have been found, most by Potter and Weasley but some by the Dark Lord. Potter has promised to keep in contact with me, and if not me then Miss Granger. _

_Edward Elric, Fullmetal Alchemist_

He read over the report once more before folding it and starting on his second report to the same man. It was getting tedious, writing two reports, one official and one more detailed, specific and in code. One was meant for the eyes of any officer, the other meant for Mustang alone. Edward may not have great respect for his Commanding Officer as a man but as an Officer and a Politician there was no one else he would follow and no one else he would write two reports for.

He started writing the second report. While on the surface, to an untrained eye, it looked like a letter and a recipe for someone named Sabrina, what was underneath the surface words was much more interesting than peanut butter cookies and an upside-down cake.

_Mustang,_

_This Snape person seems to be on our side. Under the influence of something called _Veritaserum_, which is a potion that makes people tell the absolute truth – chemically sound, oddly enough. I did write down the instructions for making it – he said that he had killed Dumbledore only because the old man had asked him to do it, reasons stated in my other report. Doing this cemented his position in the ranks of the _Death Eaters_, gaining him favor with the Devil, but he has been working to take them down from the inside as per what the old man wanted from him. Voldemort – the fool – has entrusted him with the Horcruzes that he was able to reclaim on his own, the ones that Potter and Weasley do not have. _

_By the way, remember the ring we found when you were here? I'll need you to keep an even more careful eye on that. It was what the _Death Eaters_ that broke into the school were looking for. I'll probably be sending for it soon enough depending on how swiftly this mess wraps itself up. The only way to kill Voldemort is to return his soul to him before killing him. ALL of it. We know that at least one Horcruz has been broken which leaves twelve more. Potter has eight, Voldemort two, us one and that leaves one out in the open somewhere. Potter and Weasley are going to look for that one. They will contact me when they have it, if they can. _

_The professors here are pressing me as to what my Specialty is. This is getting very irritating. Is there anything you can tell them that would shut them up? They want to know what it is that I do that is so special that it is classified and will not be happy with the fact that I just cannot tell them without facing consequences._

_Classes are... at something of a standstill right now. These children simply cannot grasp the basics of transmutation. I had not thought that anyone could be so pathetic at Alchemy as they are. I do not understand what is their problem. I have decided that I will never teach again. You got that? Not even if you tripled my pay and increased my research grants!_

_Edward_

That done Edward folded the note and sealed it with the careful imitation of the sloppiness of someone who was not worried that it would be read would use to seal their note. It was quite the contrast to the crisp precision that was the official report, even if the coded one was more detailed and altogether more important in the long run of things.

He nodded and tucked the reports into his pocket, getting ready to head to the Owlry and deal with whatever accosted him in the hall along the ways, which there would invariably be. It had not failed once and Edward had come to expect it.

He locked the door to his classroom behind him and shoved his hands into his pockets, ready to saunter down the hall as if he had not a care in the world. He whistled some unknown tune and watched where he was going through half-lidded eyes. All in all he looked like nothing was bothering him and he was thinking about nothing more troubling than what to wear the next day.

"Hey Edward!" Speak of the devil and he shall appear, here was interruption number one: Tonks.

"_Guten Morgen,"_ he smiled benignly up at her, "Vhat can I do for you?"

"Are you ready for the Masked Ball tonight?" she asked, smiling mischievously. Edward stared at her blankly. She sighed, deflating a little. "See, this is what you get when you don't spend any time in the Staff Room. Tonight there is a masked ball, well, something like that. All you have to do is dress up in a costume. It's at eight in the Great Hall, be there."

"Ball?" Edward was confused. "Like a baseball or a football?"

The yellow-haired Auror laughed. "No, like a party."

"Party? Me go to a party?" He raised an eyebrow, looking quite uncertain.

Tonks faltered. "You've never been to a Ball before?"

Edward shook his head. "Other than Vinry's birthday parties, _nein._ Vell, does vhen the _Generalmajor_ and the others had take me out to the _Wirtshaus_ on my birthday count?"

"Um... not really," Tonks grimaced. She had no idea what a virts-house was but it wasn't a ball, that was obvious. "Well, I guess this will be your first Ball! What are you going to wear? Remember, it can't be anything like what you normally wear."

Edward scowled. "Do I have to go?"

Tonks nodded. "You have to go."

Edward cursed foully in German. "Fine. I vill find something to vear," he capitulated at last.

"Good. I'll see you at dinner. You better know what you're going to wear by then otherwise I'll have to enlist some help to help you figure it out!" she threatened as she vanished down the hall. Edward scowled, his mood dark now. He hated parties with a passion. So much was expected of him at parties, which is why he never went.

And where am I going to get a costume? He thought, scowling.

* * *

Tonks accosted Edward again at the dinner table. Edward had dragged himself in silently, not looking at anyone as he seated himself with as little fanfare as possible. His friend, her hair a sunny yellow that almost rivaled Winry's, landed in her chair and started in on him right away.

"So do you have a costume for the Ball?" she asked without preamble.

Edward turned a baleful glare on her.

She paused, taken a little aback, "Are you feeling well, Edward?"

Edward continued to stare at her. "Vonderful," he said after several long seconds.

"You sure?" she pressed, "Nervous about tonight? You don't have a costume do you?"

Edward's left eyebrow twitched.

"No?"

"_Frau_ Tonks," he said slowly, looking down at his plate, "do not vorry yourself over me, please."

"You do have a costume, don't you?"

Edward said nothing.

"What is it?"

"You vill see the same as everyone else."

There was such ice in Edward's voice that Tonks did not dare press further, not wanting to stretch her luck. She sat back in her seat and watched out of the corner of her eye as Edward slumped in his, slouching like only a child could and she wondered vaguely how he had managed to retain that particular childlike trait at his advanced teenage years. Another holdover from someone who had grown up too quickly. She was beginning to notice a lot of those.

"Are you certain that I have to go?" he asked halfway through the meal. A meal he had not touched.

"All the professors have to attend," she confirmed.

"Ah." Oh, he sounded disappointed.

"Not saying that you have to do anything," she tried to cheer him up. He slumped further down in his seat. No luck there.

Not looking forward to that evening.

* * *

Edward tried slipping down to the Great Hall without getting spotted by anyone. He even succeeded. Now the next task – this one assuredly impossible – was to get through the party without anyone seeing him in this ridiculous outfit.

See? Impossible.

He sighed and straightened his jacket. This outfit was his 'spare change of clothes in case of very dire emergencies' as far as he was concerned and though he had never worn it before, the army – nosy little... – made sure that he always had at least one change tailored to his size. Yes, that was right, Edward was wearing... his uniform.

Well, Tonks had said that he needed a costume and it was not as if he was going to ask one of the many Witches or Wizards to make him something with their magic. Truth be told he still didn't really believe in the stuff. He had spent the last two and a half months in a school for the sole purpose of teaching the arcane art and he still thought it was a load of manure.

And why was he wearing his uniform after he had spent six years avoiding it? Did he have anything else? Not really. Edward had never been one to really care about what he was wearing so long as he liked it, hence why his style had hardly changed over the years. Now the uniform. He had spent the last six years avoiding wearing it – getting away with it because State Alchemists, though part of the military, to be sure, were not always in active duty, mostly research. Those in research could dress however they wanted. It was only the ones, such as Mustang, who actively served in the military on a daily basis that had to wear their uniforms. Edward, who although worked for the military in what could be considered an active-duty sort of way, was away from Headquarters and any office enough that no one really cared what he wore. Even while at the office no one expected him to wear a uniform. Why? Because he was Edward Elric, Fullmetal Alchemist and no one really wanted to get into an argument with him over something as trivial as clothing.

And so, this was the first time Edward had worn his uniform out in public. He did, of course, know what it was supposed to look like and had a hope that he had put everything on right. It was hard to miss that when most of the people you worked with wore the same uniform, sans a couple of medals and ribbons here and there but more or less the same.

Had he mentioned what a pain the medals and ribbons were? It seemed like every time he did something someone in power – the idiots that they are – decided to tack another something to the breast of his uniform jacket. The fools. Why did they think that they should do something as useless as that? If they were that impressed with him they should give him a pay raise or something equally helpful. But no, they gave him a coloured ribbon instead.

Gee, thanks.

With a deep breath Edward pushed the doors to the Great Hall open enough to admit him entrance. The Hall was already full with students in extravagant costumes, some wearing masks and some forgoing. Edward slid around the edge of the crowd, clinging to the wall as much as he could. Once he found a dark corner, or rather, a corner that was darker than the rest of the well-lit room, he leaned back against the wall and set about brooding.

Some students glanced his way but he ignored them. More students glanced his way. He ignored them too. The buzzing of conversation in the room peaked. Edward was already getting a headache.

"Looking good, Edward," Tonks complimented, her being the only person brave enough to weather his scowl at the moment.

"Go avay, _Frau_ Tonks," he growled. "I do not like you right now."

"Aw, it's not that bad, you know," she laughed. Edward shot her a sideways glare, taking note of her... interesting choice of costume.

"Going for a dog look?" he asked.

Tonks laughed again, flicked one of her doggy ears and said something that puzzled Edward. "Well, I thought it was apt given who I'm dating."

Edward did not press.

A group of giggling girls passed. Edward ignored them. Tonks laughed and poked Edward on the shoulder. She ended up hurting her finger because it was his automail shoulder. He didn't even feel it.

"Vhat is their problem?" he broke down and asked at last.

"Edward," Tonks giggled, "if you haven't figured it out by now I am not going to tell you."

"Vhy not?" he demanded.

"Because, my dear boy," she said, placing a finger beside her nose, "that would take all the fun out of you figuring it out for yourself."

Edward scowled again and sunk back into the wall. A couple of the male students – ones that the girls had abandoned in favor of Alchemy Professor Watching – shot him dark glares. Edward saw the glares and, for the most part, ignored them. He did, however, take note of who was doing the glaring, even if he did not know – or care – why. Little escaped his notice which was both a blessing and a curse.

They had a band playing dance music. Not a genre that Edward was fond of and he had to raise an internal eyebrow at their outfits but the students seemed to be enjoying themselves.

Tonks flitted off somewhere, leaving Edward to his own devices. He tugged self-consciously at his jacket and had a small panic attack when he spotted two of his female student heading straight for him. He looked about, trying to find a quick escape but to no avail. In seconds they had descended.

"Professor Heidrich! You're wearing your uniform!" exclaimed the first, a brunette girl in Ravenclaw. State the obvious, Edward thought irritably.

"It looks so good on you," complimented the other girl, a dark dirty-blond, also from Ravenclaw. Whatever and who cares? Edward looked about for something to use as an excuse to flee.

"We didn't think you'd be coming." He wished he hadn't.

"But I bet you wish you weren't here alone." That was true. He wished Alphonse was there.

"What about that cute Officer that came and visited you?" Mustang?

"Bet you wish he was here with you." Not a chance!

"Of course he does! They are boyfriends after all, aren't they?" Edward was going to be sick. He sure hoped he had understood that incorrectly. In any case he was going to kill Mustang for doing this to him. It was humiliating. But, humiliating as it was, Edward was not ready to convince the girls otherwise. Who knew exactly what they would do if they knew he did not swing the way Mustang had made it seem.

"So how long have you and that Officer been going out?"

Edward's eyebrow twitched and he forced a smile. "Excuse me," he said, trying to sound at least marginally polite. He nodded once and stalked off.

As he left he heard one of the girls whisper, "Now you've done it! Now he misses his boyfriend even more!"

It took all of his iron will to keep from spinning around and screaming at the two. His hands fisted and he ground his teeth in an effort to remain at least outwardly calm. If he had been even three years younger he would have already flown off the handle, claws out and fangs sharpened. Or something to that tune. In the end blood would have been spilled, none of it Edward's, and he would have been outed to the entire school rather than just the professors. And that possibly could be detrimental to the health and wellbeing of his mission, so it was a good thing that this was not three years ago.

But even with the control that age had gifted him with he still needed to do something to keep his mind off his ire. But what?

"Edward!" Tonks rushed over to him, her face flushed with, Edward guessed, some alcohol someone had smuggled in. "You have to dance!"

"_Was?"_ he spluttered.

"You can dance, right?"

"Vell..." Edward blushed.

"Good. Now dance with me." She grabbed his hand and dragged him out onto the dance floor.

Edward was in for it now. It was embarrassing for him to admit even to himself that he had been browbeaten into learning how to dance by Hawkeye – the only redeeming part to this humiliation was that it had been Hawkeye and no one dared go against her, which soothed his pride somewhat.

With more eyes on him than Edward was comfortable with he desperately resorted to ingrained habit and bowed, holding his hand out for Tonks to accept. The Defense professor's eyebrow raised and she placed her hand in his. Edward straightened and stepped closer, his right hand resting on the small of her back, his left holding their clasped hands at shoulder level. They stepped.

"Huh, where'd you learn to dance this well, Edward?" Tonks asked after several measures. Edward shrugged, spinning her gently around.

"Vone of the officers that I vorked vit' back home. She decided that I should learn to dance. And no one argues vit' her," he shook his head, smiling a little. Everyone loved and feared Riza Hawkeye, no doubt about it. And when she wanted something to happen, be it paperwork or dance lessons, it was done posthaste. No one argued with Riza Hawkeye, especially when she had her gun drawn. No one.

"She?" Tonks asked.

"_Ja,"_ Edward shook his head, still smiling at the memory. "She."

* * *

Edward ended up getting claimed for a dance by all of the female professors, a welcome excuse not to deal with the female students. When he wasn't claimed for a dance he was talking to the few professors that still talked to him. So that restricted him to something like three people to talk to. Not great but he figured he might be able to slip out early if all went well. But if the way Tonks and Sprout were hovering over him was any indication, he figured that was probably not going to happen. Shame.

An hour before the Hollowe'en party was to be wrapped up something happened that made Edward excruciatingly happy.

Crashing through the doors with all the grace of a sumo wrestler on roller blades came a giant... something. Edward has taken aback for a moment at the sheer size of it. It was the same size as Gluttony after he had let himself go after Mustang had killed Lust. But that was neither here not there. This creature looked like someone had smacked it several times with the entire Ugly Tree. Pretty, it was not.

It only took the screaming students and the professors arming themselves with their wands for Edward to decide that yes, this was a bad thing to have inside the school. Someone got in a shot before Edward but the Alchemist did not pause to see who. He clapped his hands together and held them above the ground. Blue alchemical energies raced from his fingers to the floor and raced along the stone to where the giant creature was rampaging. In something that was becoming a trademark move giant stone fingers rose up and grasped the creature by the legs, pinning it in place. Several lances of multicoloured light hit it dead on. It howled.

"What is that?" He asked Tonks.

"Troll," was all she said.

"Vould anyone mind if I killed it?"

"Be my guest, if you can."

By now most of the students had been evacuated. Edward darted forward, closing in quickly. He ducked underneath the troll's tree trunk of a club, falling into a roll and leaping to his feet. He brushed his hands together and slammed them on one of the stone fingers anchoring the troll to the floor. While it looked like nothing happened on the outside the troll howled in rage and pain.

Dodging another clumsy swing of the club Edward grabbed the troll's belt and flipped himself up, planting his automail foot in the monster's face. All that move accomplished was further irritating it. It's howl echoed off the stone walls of the Hall.

Huh, Edward thought, landing back on the floor in a low crouch, time to change tactics.

He used the depth of his crouch to aid him in springing back into the air with the skill and height of an Olympic gymnast on a trampoline. Again he brushed his hands together, this time intent on plagiarizing a move that an old acquaintance was far too fond of using. One hand covered the troll's face while he planted his feet on the thing's chest, pushing and prepping himself for a rough landing. There was a flash, brief and, Edward knew, the herald of the end of this altercation.

There was a surprised cry from the people watching as blood and other things that no one really wanted to think about exploded from every hole in the Troll's skull, including the new one that was blasted out in the back of its head. It toppled backwards and landed hard, shaking the floor. Edward rolled off, coming to his feet in a neat and practiced move. He glanced back, making sure that the Troll was indeed dead. It twitched a couple of times but it was undoubtedly not among the ranks of living creatures any longer .

"What in the world was that?" exclaimed one of the professors. Flanagan, Edward identified.

"_Frau_ Tonks said that it vas a troll," Edward said, standing and grimacing at his filthy glove. That was unsalvageable. "I vill take her vord on the subject."

"That's not what I was talking about!" he screeched.

Edward looked up at the rest of the professors then back at the now still troll. "Oh. That. That vas me taking, as you say, a page out of the book of somevone I fought years ago. It is dead. In fact, it no longer has a brain... vell, a solid brain."

"That's disgusting," moaned someone who, obviously, had caught the very broad implication.

"What did you do?" Tonks asked, venturing closer.

"Stopped transmutation at Deconstruction," he shrugged, still frowning at his gore-covered glove. "I need new gloves," he sighed and fished about his pockets with his clean hand. Finding nothing he sighed and gave up, holding his defiled hand away from his body as if it were something unclean and diseased.

"Deconstruction?"

"_Ja._ Second stage. It vas either the head or the chest and you do not want to clean up the mess the chest makes," he shuddered.

"And you know this how?" McGonagall asked, covering her mouth and nose with a handkerchief.

Edward quirked her an unamused smile. "The person that used this vay of killing vas hunting State Alchemists. I vas his target for many year and fought him often. I often found his other victims too." He shook his head. "Cleaning up after him vas never fun."

"I can believe it," someone muttered. Still, no one had moved to clean up the mess that was the troll corpse and pureed brains. Edward sighed and frowned at the mess he had made.

Clean up time.

* * *

Edward sighed and shucked off his uniform jacket. He pealed off his gloves, dropping them onto the floor, waiting to be disposed of. He sat heavily on his bed and ran a hand through his hair, pulling it out of the restraining ponytail he had tied it back in.

He couldn't believe it. He simply could not believe how comfortable this uniform was. Sure there were a lot of fiddly ribbons but he could get used to that. What had him converted, sort of, was the amount of moving room! Whoever had designed the uniform had certainly thought about freedom of movement.

Maybe, just maybe, he might start wearing the uniform more often. Maybe.

On the other hand, maybe not. It might give Old Man Mustang a heart attack. And heaven forbid the man die from something as paltry as massive shock before becoming Fuhrer.

Edward lay down, closing his eyes, his legs still draped over the edge of his bed.

Never again. No more parties like that for him. If the dancing wasn't embarrassing enough then the attention was. While a lot of what he did was very well known, even out of Amestris, Edward himself was a private person. He did not intentionally try to gain the attention of the public and the press. There was, thankfully, a lack of paparazzi here since no one – sans professors and those two Aurors – knew who he really was. Mustang did have some good ideas every once in a while.

Something bothered Edward. How did that troll-thing get into the school? Was it set? Was there a traitor in their midst? If there was then there was one person he knew might know, and he was still in the castle.

Severus Snape, the inside man.

If everything was to work the way Edward envisioned then Snape would have to be able to escape from the school somehow, possibly along with his perceived partners in evildoing. But first he wanted to talk to him, preferably alone and in the guise of beating information out of him, and of course failing. It wouldn't do to have a spy that had the stigma of being loose-lipped hanging over his head, after all. That was a sure recipe for a dead spy! And a dead spy was, in everyone's eyes, fairly useless when it came to spying.

Edward sighed, frowning. This whole thing was starting to feel something like the homunculus debacle. Intrigue, war, waiting, more intrigue. Edward hated intrigue. And why did he hate intrigue? Bad memories from the last war.

But anyways, he had a test to prepare for on Monday. His original curriculum had to be pared down substantially since, for some reason, these children simply could not grasp the steps of transmutation. It was beginning to border on the pathetic. Edward did not understand it, transmutation had always come naturally to him, even when he was just beginning himself. How else could he have learned alchemy from just the arrays and pictures?

These children were pathetic!

And talking to Mustang about the problem had helped none. About the only he was useful for, when it came to alchemy, was fire and the occasional this-is-how-you-make-a-fake-corpse. That would be later charred beyond recognition. Useful. Well, it was. It had been enough to fool the military coroners more than one time during the war. No one thought to look and see who was getting the dental records of all these charred people before they turned up charred. And since the dental records were the only thing that they had left to identify these 'dead' people...

Mustang was very good at what he specialized in, there was no contest in that respect. But the problem was the fact that he was so specialized. He knew virtually nothing on any other type of alchemy and was thus useless when it came to giving Edward advice on how to teach said other types of alchemy.

So Edward had written Alphonse. His brother had sent some advice, but all in all had the same problem as Edward. Alchemy came very easily to the Elric brothers, always had and even more so after that fateful day when they tried to bring their mother back, and as such it was difficult to explain. That was the problem with being a prodigy and a genius, one who had yet to stop being both and had not reached his full potential even practicing the most forbidden and deadly of fields of Alchemy. Edward sometimes wondered what he was supposed to be doing if not even Human Transmutation held the danger it should for him.

Teaching sure was not it.

Edward rolled over, sat up and unlaced his boots. Not the standard issue that he should have been wearing with the uniform, but he didn't have those with him. What was the point of carrying around two pairs of boots? One boot flew across the room to land by the door. It was followed shortly by its mate. He laid back down and stared up at the ceiling.

He had to do something. That troll-creature was troubling. Who had let it into the castle? Was there someone inside the school that was working with the Dark Lord Voldemort? If there was that might put a crimp in Edward's work. The last thing he needed was someone he thought he was protecting turn out to be working for the enemy. That would feel far too much like Envy.

But if there was someone working inside the castle there was also someone who would know, hopefully. Now all he had to do was talk to said person...


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

**When Winter Does Fall**

Edward glanced about the hall, making sure that there was no one around. What he was doing was sure to be frowned upon by the other professors and he knew they would never let him do it if they knew what he was up to. Thankfully it paid to be antisocial and be in the habit of leaving shortly after every meal. This little quirk allowed him do much more than he would be able to do otherwise. Things like sneak around – and slip out of – the castle at the oddest of hours.

Seeing that there was no one in sight Edward affected a casual gait and wandered quietly down from his classroom to where the stairs – unfortunately – lead to the Entrance Hall, the hub of all activity in the school. Edward hoped that no one was in the hall when he reached it. It would be nice if no one saw him sneaking about the castle, less witnesses.

No luck. There was a small group of girls and their boy-toys tittering like fools near the doors to the Great Hall. He ducked behind a convenient statue and decided to wait them out. Curfew was soon so they would have to at least appear to not be out of their dorms.

It was times like this that Edward was, silently even in his own mind, glad that he was smaller than what was considered average. He would die before admitting it though. Even though he had grown and was no longer considered incomprehensibly short he was still on the small end of normal. Given that Alphonse was a full half head taller than he was people tended to chalk it up to the weight of his automail, hence one of Edward's quests being to find a lighter, stronger alloy for Winry to use to make his mechanical limbs. But between all the fields of alchemy he was studying – the Truth didn't tell him everything! - and his job at the military he had precious little time to spare for that pursuit.

Ah. They were leaving. Edward watched them leave and rechecked the Hall for anyone else. No one. With the grace and silence of a shadow – which by all rights and laws of physics he should not be able to pull off – Edward dashed to the proper door and slipped through it, vanishing downwards.

The stairs to the dungeon levels of Hogwarts were chilled, more than the rest of the castle, and the cold only got worse the further down he traveled. He knew that fairly soon he would begin to have aches around his automail ports. Another reason why he wanted this mission to be over with as soon as was possible.

After several turns and twists in the halls and stairs Edward reached the right door, the one that led to where the imprisoned Death Eaters were being held. He paused at the heavy door, mentally preparing himself. A dark, intimidating scowl was pasted on his face and he pulled the door open sharply. Three pairs of eyes snapped to look at him.

Let the show begin.

"_Guten Abend,"_ he said carefully, slowly surveying the Death Eaters before him. His eyes landed on Snape, seemingly by chance, and he allowed his smirk to turn from mere dark to positively wicked. He walked with deliberate care towards the ex-professor. "You. You are... _Herr_ Snape,_ ja?"_

Snape glared, curling a lip back in defiance. Edward hoped that all went well and the man played along. A lot hinged on this performance.

"I vill take it that that means that you are." He nodded. "I have some qvestions for you."

Snape said something rather rude and insulting to Edward's parentage. Edward laughed and clapped his hands together, breaking the manacles that held the older man to the wall. The potions master collapsed in a heap. Edward did not allow him time to regain his balance, grabbing his robes and dragging him bodily from the room. He paused only to close and lock the door behind him.

Once out of the view of prying eyes Edward helped Snape to his feet. "Could you come vit' me, please?" he asked amiably. "I have a feeling that ve do not vant to have this conversation here."

"You..." Snape frowned. "You were there when they interrogated me."

"_Ja,"_ Edward nodded, motioning to a room down the hall. "Now I have something I vant to talk about that I am certain that your _assoziieren_ should not hear."

"Who are you, boy?" Snape asked as Edward closed the door behind them.

"Me?" Edward smiled a smiled that was not quite innocent and not mischievous yet somehow both, "I am _Oberst_ Edvard Heidrich, Alchemy Professor. And you are Severus Snape, previous Potions Professor and Death Eater, vorking as a spy for Dumbledore, now dead by your hand." The alchemist leaned back against the wall and stared steadily at the other man. Snape said nothing.

"I vant," Edward paused, "your help. You said that you still vork against Vhatever-his-name-is, _ja?"_

Snape blinked. "Whatever-his-name-is? You don't know of him?"

"Oh," Edward shrugged, "I know all about him. Many reports, understand? His name is long and _lästig._ I vanted to know if you vould help me vit' a little something...."

* * *

"Medical Alchemy, or Biological Alchemy," Edward lectured, "is very difficult to do. This is because you are vorking vit' living people and not just _leblos _elements. It is dangerous because you can kill very easily if you do not know vhat you are doing," he flicked a finger and sat down on the corner of his desk. "Medical Alchemists have studied hard to become _doktor_ and Alchemist, much like _automail Mechaniker _who must know all about medical matters as vell as machine. They must know everything about the body and how it vorks."

"Sir," Hermione's hand was up. Edward nodded towards her. "Do you know any Medical Alchemists?"

"Other than myself?" he muttered under his breath, _"Ja,_ I do. I vorked vit' vone during the last var. She vas... very educated and vas in high demand on the front." Never mind that the front had been the entire country thanks to the antics of the homunculi.

"Why is it so dangerous?" asked a boy two seats from Hermione.

"Vell," Edward scratched his nose, hoping he was getting all the right words, "a stroke is caused by a block in the veins to the brain, a heart attack cause by a block in the veins to the heart. If your lungs closed you vould not be able to breathe. There are many vays to die and just as many to kill." Now he frowned. Contrary to popular belief amongst the professors right now Edward did not enjoy killing and never had. Just because he knew one thousand and three ways to kill a human being and several more, rather extreme, methods that applied to homunculi did not make him entirely heartless. Just mostly. And in the middle of a fight he didn't even let that part of himself interfere.

"Do you know any Medical Alchemy?" Ah, the direct question leading to the question, to lie or to not lie?

"I have studied some," he conceded. Half truth. He had found it quite similar to the human transmutation that was supposed to be his specialty and as a byproduct found it almost simple in its intricacies.

"How good are you?"

Good enough. "I can do some basic healing. Small cuts. Vhy?"

"Just wondering."

Edward raised an eyebrow but continued with his lecture.

* * *

"Edward!" Tonks sang, "Edward! Eddy-boy! Wake up!"

Edward lifted his head from his arms and glared death at his friend and colleague. His bangs hung over his eyes and he had creases in his cheek from his shirt sleeve. He had fallen sleep at his desk in his office while doing some last minute paper grading. The classes first essay had been handed in to him and now he the task of reading through them all and assigning them a letter grade. Dead boring, in his opinion.

"Vhat can I do for you, _Frau_ Tonks?" he asked, sitting up and blinking the stubborn traces of sleep out of his eyes. "And do not call me Eddy-boy."

"You missed out on dinner, you know," she said, sliding a plate of food onto his desk and setting a goblet of orange juice down next to it. "I thought I'd bring you something to eat in case you were hungry. What's got you so tired?"

"Grading papers, writing reports, fighting evil. And all this before breakfast," he quirked an amused half smile at her and accepted a fork. "Thank you for bringing this for me."

"Welcome," she pulled up a seat and sat down as well.

"So, vhat can I do for you?" he asked between mouthfuls. "The other professors still pestering you?"

"Yes, but that's not why I'm here." She smiled. "Those the essays I've been hearing about from the kids?"

"_Ja,"_ he pushed a stack to the side and dragged the plate closer.

"What were they on?"

"Nothing specific," he shrugged. "I let them choose the topic."

"That was big of you," she said.

Edward frowned. "Big? I do not understand vhat you mean."

Tonks sighed, smiling. "Nice, it was very nice of you to do that."

"Ah. Not really. Because I let them choose it makes it more difficult for them. They have to know vhat ve have been doing in class before they can choose a good topic to write essay on," he shrugged again and finished off the plate of food, washing it down with a long drink of his orange juice.

"So you're not the nice professor I thought you were softening to," Tonks laughed. "Good to know that you're still the student oppressor that everyone has grown to expect."

"Have to keep them working, _ja?"_ he laughed, wiping his mouth with a napkin. "So vhat can I do for you?"

Tonks sat back in her chair and regarded him though half lidded eyes. Her hair shimmered between spring green and light yellow. "Well," she began, "How far have you gotten on the whole Dark Lord thing you're doing?"

Edward paused, shooting her a wry smile, "Vhy do you need to know?"

"Curiosity?"

"Right. How about I tell you vhat I know vhen you tell me vhat you know? It is getting _lästig _doing all the research by myself," he leaned back as well, affecting a confident aura. Tonks smiled a little and her hair settled to a dark orange.

"I should have known you'd put that stipulation on it," she said. "You are an officer after all and a pretty keen mind."

Edward nodded briefly, a small smile gracing his lips, one that said he knew exactly what she was trying to do. She snorted, giving up on that tactic.

"Alright," she conceded. "No one's heard from Harry and Ron since we met up with them and from everything that we can see the Dark Lord has dropped completely off the radar. We don't have a lead."

"He's looking for the last Horcruz," Edward said when she had finished. "He knows that Potter and Weasley have most of them and knows by now that the mission to get the one that had been left here has failed. That leaves one more and I am still trying to find it as vell. I have no leads right now but I am still looking."

"So we're both nowhere on this," Tonks sighed explosively.

"Exactly."

"Well darn."

Silence extended between the two teachers as Tonks pondered her predicament and Edward debated whether or not to go back to making right away or to put it off a little. He scratched his nose and sighed. To do or to not do, that was the question at the moment. A chill draft hit him on his right shoulder, chilling his skin though his multiple layers of clothing. He scowled and looked around for the source.

"What's wrong, Edward?" Tonks asked when he got to his feet to inspect the windows.

"Cold air is coming in," he said, frowning still, tugging off his glove and running his flesh hand around the seals on the windows. "I thought I had fixed these rooms so they vould stay varm." He moved on to another bank of windows, finding nothing wrong with the ones that had been closest to him.

"You really that temperature sensitive?"

"Have you ever held metal against your skin? It holds cold very well." He shot her a serious glance. "At home it is not a problem. I hardly ever go vhere it is cold. I and vill make the _Generalmajor_ pay for sending me here."

"Does he have, what's-it, automail too?" she asked, feeling around the windows as well.

"_Nein,"_ Edward shook his head.

"What about his eye? What happened there?"

Edward paused, thinking. "That vas... that vas from the _bürgerkrieg. _It vas none of my business how he lost it so I can not say," he said slowly, not looking at her. He had his attention completely on finding the crack in the window seals. Tonks sighed, knowing that she wasn't going to get anything useful out of him in this mood.

"Minerva got a letter from your CO," she commented offhandedly. Edward looked up. "He made some polite noise about the subject of your specialty. Didn't say anything really, just that you are highly proficient in Alchemy – which was no new news to those of us who pay attention – and that it was the fact that he wanted to secure your brilliant mind for the military that he spoke for you when you were twelve and wanted to take the State Alchemy exam. Nothing that you hadn't vouched for yourself."

"So he did write," Edward said softly. "I vill have to thank him for that."

"You asked him to write?" Tonks asked.

Edward nodded. _"Ja._ It is easier to live vithout people vatching you every minute of the day, you understand?"

"I can believe it."

Edward shook his head, smiling to himself. He was going to have to thank Mustang for listening to his request in his next coded report. The man could be a jerk and difficult to work with quite often but he had his uses. And politicking happened to be a strong point of his. Good thing, eh?

* * *

Edward woke far too early in the morning several weeks later with an insistent ache in both of his automail ports. The air in his room was frigged and his cocoon of quilts was hardly helping. His first thoughts of the day were rather foul as he debated what he should do in order to keep from freezing his automail off. He dared not try to light the fire in the fireplace with alchemy, his control was still pretty shoddy and he might end up incinerating everything on his wing of the castle, including himself. Not fun this early in the morning. Doing something like that just might ruin his day.

With alchemy not an option at the moment Edward yanked on his covers, pulling them out from where they had been tucked under the mattress and wrapped the snugly around himself. He moved slowly, sitting up and swinging his legs off the bed and onto the floor. The stone floor was almost unbearably cold to his flesh foot so he hurried to the thick rug that was in front of the fireplace. He looked around of the matches and found them tucked behind a small pile of waiting logs and kindling. Laying the firewood was simple enough and the wood was dry enough that it caught well. Soon Edward had a nice fire going to combat the sudden cold snap.

With the heat flooding slowly from the fireplace into the room Edward sidled as close as he safely could and got to work heating up his automail and ports. It took him fifteen minutes before he was not feeling any pain in his shoulder and knee. By that time the sun was far enough up that he could see the gray morning sky from where he was sitting on the hearthstones. The clouds looked thicker than normal and something was different. It didn't look like it was raining.

Curious, Edward got to his feet, tucked the blankets more firmly around himself and waked to the windows. His eyes widened at what he saw. The world had turned white. Snow.

"Aw, man!" he moaned. The snow was really going to cut down on the options he had when it came to wandering around outside. Now he really needed much warmer clothing. The modified wardrobe he had made for himself was not going to cut it with snow. Looked like he was going to have to sacrifice one of his thick quilts to make himself a thicker jacket and socks.

Edward eyed the quilt he had wrapped around himself, considering what he could do with the material it was made of. He shrugged it off, shivering at the rush of frigid air that snatched away his hoarded body heat. With the quilts polled on the floor Edward clapped his hands and transmuted the pile of blankets into warm clothing which he pulled on as quickly as he could make them. Thick red coat with his teacher's signature symbol on the back, woolen socks and a long scarf later Edward was feeling like he might be able to make it through the day. Now for a large cup of very hot coffee.

He locked the classroom door behind him and set out for the Great Hall and the promise of coffee and breakfast. No one was in the corridors this early in the morning. Whether that was a blessing or not was yet to be seen but Edward was determined to have a decent day despite the unfortunate change in the weather.

His foot caught on the floor and he fell head first down the stairs. He tumbled ten or so steps before he caught himself and was able to stop the headlong descent. Edward closed his eyes, laying across the stairs, and sighed. This was not a good start to the day.

After several moments of feeling somewhat destructive and vindictive when it came to stairs Edward got back to his feet. He dusted himself off and frowned at the pain that the fall had caused in his left shoulder. That was just what he needed, pain in both shoulders. As if one wasn't bad enough. Sometimes Edward wondered if there really was a God and if that God hated him.

Thankfully he made it to the Hall without anymore mishaps. Breakfast was just being laid out and he wasn't, oddly enough, the first person to arrive.

"_Gutan Morgen Frau_ Smith," he said amiably as he took his seat at the teacher's table.

"Good morning Edward," she smiled at him over the rim of her goblet. "What happened to you?"

Edward sighed and touched the bruising cut beside his eye. It was embarrassing to admit. "I fell down the stairs," he said so sourly there could be no doubt about his honesty.

She raised an eyebrow. "You fell down the stairs?" she asked, unsure if she had heard him correctly.

"_Ja,"_ he scowled and started filling his plate. The plus side of working here as a teacher was that he need not worry about the cost of food. He piled his plate with sausages and pancakes, pouring liberal amounts of syrup over both.

When he was halfway through the food – as well as on his second pitcher of homemade coffee – the students started trickling in. Edward watched them with half and eye as he went over everything that he had planned for the day and then the week. He was to be working with Tonks just before lunch on Practical Defense and, as usual, he planned on running the students into the ground before they would be dismissed. Their reflexes had improved greatly since he had started working with them. Funny how the threat of actual pain spurred people into moving quicker.

* * *

Edward manufactured the perfect escape for Snape and, by necessity, his Death Eater companions. Now there were back with the Dark Lord and Edward hoped he had done the right thing.

By the time December rolled around Edward had gotten around to fixing up his wardrobe and it was no longer considered an odd sight to see the young professor bundled up in layers upon layers of the warmest material known to mankind as he sat before, almost in, any fire he came across. Edward was, almost predictably, getting pretty frustrated as his investigations were going nowhere very slowly. He had not heard from Harry or Ron and there was no word on Voldemort's movements. Christmas passed with only a raised eyebrow and a shrug, the absence of students and classes only lengthening the days for Edward since he was, for all intents and purposes, confined to the castle until the weather heated up some. This slowed his investigation down to a standstill.

It wasn't until after the New Year's celebrations that the students returned and classes once again resumed. And while Edward did not relish standing in front of a classroom full of glassy-eyed children who still could not grasp even the most basic of the basics he gritted his teeth and suffered through it anyways. Until the assignment was over or he was recalled there was nothing he could do to get out of the deplorable job, after all.

While the lectures had proceeded at the expected rate the Friday Practical classes were slower than even he had expected them to be. It was somewhat discouraging. Edward, without anything else to fill his time, ended up spending long hours trying to figure out how exactly he could explain what he did while transmuting to the students. He had written Alphonse this time, asking his advice, having already run through every one else he could think of. He did not want to bother his brother with his troubles. Alphonse tended to worry more than what was necessary when it came to Edward, and Edward was fully aware of that fact hence why he went to Alphonse last.

Alphonse had sent a couple good ideas, more help than Mustang had been that useless Major General, and Edward had employed some of them in his practical lessons. It seemed to be helping a little as some of the students were progressing faster than before. That was a good thing.

Edward was infinity glad that he had set up something of a information network before the winter had set in. while he was not able to go out there was still something of an influx of updates on what was going on outside the castle that would interest him. Not much to keep his mind off things but enough that he wasn't going stir crazy as of yet. And according to Tonks there was only a month or two before the spring came and the snow melted away. That wasn't all that much time to wait… right?

Alright, so for Mr. Impatience himself that was far too much time. And so, it was of no surprise to anyone that had gotten to know him (ie. Tonks, Hermione, and a handful of others, but not that many really) that he started climbing walls, literally and figuratively. He had gotten permission, wisely enough, from McGonagall before he started using the walls of the Great Hall for rock climbing walls, although he forgot to specify a time. So, much to the shock of many of the students, lunch began with an interesting show of physical strength and agility as Edward, who had almost reached the enchanted ceiling by that time, finished his journey before an audience. When he touched the enchanted ceiling with one gloved hand he released his hold, pushing away from every handhold. Amidst the shocked gasps and screams he flipped through the air and landed the impossible fall in a crouch that shattered the shone beneath his feet.

He absently dusted himself off as he straightened and sighed at the damage he had done upon landing. Nothing that wasn't fixable so he clapped his hands together and fixed the floor in a trice.

That done Edward spun on his heel and sauntered out, heading for his rooms. He wasn't hungry at the moment and he didn't feel like dealing with the aftereffects of the stunt he pulled. Using the corner of a sleeve, he wiped the light film of perspiration off his forehead as he shook his head. It was pitiable and almost embarrassing that something that simple would make him start sweating. Before he took this assignment he could have scaled that wall six times before breakfast and not even have been winded.

Then again, back him he had sparred with Alphonse on a regular basis. That was something he was missing here at Hogwarts. He felt like he was stagnating here at this school, doing nothing but teaching and cooling his heels hoping for a lead to turn up for him.

With a growl of seething frustration Edward ran a gloved hand through his hair, pulling it free of its restraining tie. The sun-spun locks of hair fell about his shoulders in an unconsciously attractive disarray. He tromped through the corridors, staunchly ignoring the moving portraits and the ghosts that floated aimlessly through solid stone walls without thought of the physical impossibilities of the feat.

"Ed!" someone called him, making him pause. "Edward! Wait up."

Edward looked over his shoulder and sighed, smiling a little as his irritation seemed to evaporate into the air. "Professor Sprout, what can I do for you?"

"You really do move fast, don't you Boy?" she said with a wavering smile, her breathing starting to become labored. Edward just turned to face her, shrugging his ambiguous feelings on the matter. The older woman continued after she had regained her breath. "So, that was quite the stunt back there. Didn't think that anyone could fall that far and not break something," she said.

"Other than the ground, you mean?" Edward quirked an eyebrow at her. She nodded. "Call it practice. On a good day I could scale that wall three times before breakfast. My teacher would be disgusted with how out of shape I am," he sighed and shrugged helplessly.

"Out of shape?" she said faintly.

Edward nodded absently, missing the awe in her voice. "So vhat is it that you vant of me?"

"Edward, boy, I know that this is probably none of my concern," she said, "but I have noticed that you seem to be in a great deal of pain lately and you have not gone to see anyone about it. Is there something wrong?" she looked so worried and sincere that Edward wasn't certain what to do.

"It's nothing," he dissembled, holding his hands up defensively, "Really, it's nothing. It's just a couple of scars that hurt in the cold veather," he said.

"Are you certain? No one would think any the lesser of you if you were to consult with Madam Pomfrey on whatever it is that ails you," she pressed on.

Edward shook his head, "No one can do anything for me right now. The time for that is years past, so there's no point in vorrying about me." He would have let it drop at that for anyone else but there was something about the stout gardener that reminded him of how his mother had felt. So, awkwardly he continued. "It' just the weather, _Frau_ Sprout, and I vill be fine vonce the rain and cold leave. I vas varned that the veather here vas different from home, so it is not like this vas a big surprise to me. I have never done vell in cold anyways."

"Is it the metal?" she asked. Edward nodded, shrugging slightly.

"It does not stay varm like skin," he acknowledged. "So it is more difficult to stay varm in this veather. But it is nothing you can help vit', _Frau_ Sprout, but thank you for your concern."

"Edward, boy," Sprout started again. She looked uncertain and she hesitated for several long breaths. "Edward, what in the world drove you to the military at such an age?" she asked at length.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

**Troubling Twists**

It seemed that the favorite pastime of the student body, as has been stated before in earlier chapters, was to spread rumors and conjecture about the mysterious Alchemy professor known to them as Edward Heidrich. They knew that he wrote extensive letters that were sent back to his home country and although none of them ever were able to glimpse one the favored supposition was that they were love letters for a certain Commanding Officer. They also knew that he ached in the cold weather and that he brushed it off as old injuries. This tidbit of information, the more romantically inclined of his fanclub hypothesized that he had gotten those injuries fighting for his love, ie. the Major General.

Edward would have died if he knew what they were whispering. He would have died and then found some way of coming back to exact revenge on all those that slandered his good name. But since this had been going on for most of the year thus far and he had not yet heard wind of the rumors it was unlikely that he would in the near future.

But with the melting snows and the lengthening of the days it seemed that his spirits lifted quite a bit. It was quite a pleasing little fact to the members of his rather extensive fanclub.

Along with the warmer days came more owls with notes for the young Alchemy professor that had him both smiling and frowning alternately. No one knew what was in then and he only passed them off as either letters from his family (the good ones) or notes from his secretary back in Amestris (the bad ones). And since no one knew him or his situation back home well enough no one could call him out on them. So it was that Edward's informant network was kept a personal secret.

And after the snow had throughly melted away it seemed to Edward that he received notes either from home or from his small network of spies almost every day without fail. There was quite a lot of news from home, mostly notes from Alphonse and Winry, who had started seriously dating at some point during the winter. His secretary sent him the results from his assessment and a reminder not to slack off on his assignment no matter how tedious it might be. There was a coded reply to one of his personal reports to Mustang, one that Tonks asked if she could borrow to make for her boyfriend. Edward had hedged on letting her use a coded document to make cookies with. Somehow it just seemed unwise to attempt. He refused under the excuse that Mustang really had very bad taste in recipes and that this one was probably toxic. Tonks had been disappointed but there was little she could do since Edward had the message tucked into his pants pocket the next second.

And of course, there was the letters from his informants as well. These tracked Harry's movements, Voldemort's movements and Harry's progress towards finding the last Horcrux. He had made Harry and Ron promise to write him as well as people watching out for them whenever they stopped in at a town. It was his business how he had set that pretty little situation up and Edward was not about to divulge the secret to anyone.

All in all Edward felt a little smug over his network and he dared Mustang to come up with something better given the paltry amount of time he had spent out of the castle walls.

With the changing of the seasons came a guest to the castle that Edward had not seen since his outing to the professors. Tonks' boyfriend, the rag-tag man that was always ever so polite, came to visit. Edward had mixed feelings about seeing him again. While he had nothing against the man himself the fact that he _knew_ who Edward really was, was troubling. What people didn't know, Edward had learned the hard way, they could not reveal under torture.

It was a sad thing, when he thought about it, what war did to people. He knew that he was far more adult than he should be for his age, genius or not, and he knew that the fact that he had joined the military played a very large part in it all. Mustang had been able to shield him from active combat duty until he was sixteen but after that the Fullmetal Alchemist was quite the weapon to deploy, or so the Government thought. Edward was not a willing, or overly reliable, weapon. He tended to work on orders influenced by morals rather than strictly by orders. Mustang had yelled at him a couple of times for that but in the end it all worked out and even though Edward was still an insubordinate snot he managed to get promoted anyways. It was a mystery that no one wanted to touch.

This time around Edward was actually introduced to Mister Remus Lupin, former Defense Against the Dark Arts professor and current Auror. Remus was a pleasant enough person to know and Edward found himself enjoying the older man's company. It was not all that strange to the alchemist, since he had found that he had always felt more comfortable around people much older than he was. He had once called it the Curse of the Genius in a conversation and Alphonse had laughed at him.

Remus was an interesting person. He was perceptive to the point of being frightening, much like Edward himself when he wanted to be, and he had a dry sense of humor that Edward rather enjoyed. Between Edward's razor sharp sarcastic wit and Remus's patently British humor they decided that they quite liked each other.

Tonks rued the day she introduced them.

But what was done was done and Edward was told that meddling in the past was forbidden, not that he had any idea that she was speaking literally when she said that.

With the snows gone and the days heating up Edward was slowly able to shed some of his winter wear, not all but some. By the time he was able to leave his thick scarf behind in his rooms Edward was also teaching Remus how to scale the walls of the Great Hall without the aid of any sort of spells. No one quite knew why they were doing it but then again, no on really wanted to ask. Insanity, they chalked it up to, like it could possibly be anything other.

At breakfast one particularly sunny morning Edward received another note that was postmarked from Hogsmeade. He opened it quite casually and scanned the contents with a slight smile twinkling in his eyes. He toyed with the idea of bringing Tonks along for this little outing as he had the last. If he brought Tonks then she was certain to bring Remus and while Edward trusted Tonks, who in turn trusted Remus, he didn't want to drag anyone else into this mess. On the other hand, Remus was already embroiled in the fight against the self-proclaimed Dark Lord and there wasn't much Edward could do that would keep him out of harms way. He guessed, after some thought, that the decision wasn't his to make. He'd allow Tonks to decide.

* * *

Edward wasn't sure how he felt about having two people coming along with him. It was much easier to hide one and possible to hide two, but three was an entirely different logistical problem.

"Edward, is there some reason why you wanted to go to Hogsmeade tonight?" Tonks asked.

Edward shot her a toothy grin from over his shoulder. "There is alvays a reason for everything I do, _Frau _Tonks, and perhaps you should not be so shocked this time. It would not do to draw attention to our two friends."

Tonks almost faltered in her pace. "What? You mean that they actually came back to Hogsmeade? Why in the name of all that's holy would they do that?" she demanded, catching up to Edward and grabbing a fistful of his coat sleeve to ensure she had his attention. He stopped dead in the middle of the shadowed dirt road that lead from the castle of Hogwarts to the wizard village of Hogsmeade and turned to face his two companions.

"_Ja,_ they have returned and this time it was them that contacted me about their presence," he said straight out.

"Who?" Remus asked, feeling like he was missing something that was integral to understanding what was being talked about. Both Edward and Tonks turned to stare at him.

"Uh... best not talk about it here," Tonks said. "Too dangerous."

"_So,_" Edward agreed. He reclaimed his sleeve from Tonks grasp and started down the road again. "They vill only be here for this night and I vish to discus important matters vit' them," he said, hinting that they should hurry up.

"Who?" Remus repeated with a hint of a wail in his voice. Tonks kissed him on the cheek and told him to be patient and to try not to make a scene when they got there. Of course, that did not reassure him.

"Ah," Edward laughed at the frustrated look on the scraggly man's face, "ve are meeting _gut_ friends of yours, so do not vorry."

"That's not very informative," he grumbled.

"Edward's just being his usual cryptic self," Tonks said, dismissively waving a hand, her hair glinting an amusing shade of purple in the dusk light. "Don't bother trying to get anything out of him now. He's gone professional on us."

"That's right, I keep forgetting that he's military," Remus sighed.

Soon enough, with the time passed with idle chatter, the lights of Hogsmeade shone through the deepening twilight. Edward smiled and, if one was to watch carefully, a bounce came into his step. He led the way unerringly towards the Three Broomsticks and pushed his way in, not waiting for his companions.

The atmosphere of the pub was warm and welcoming, a great change from the dark, clinging gloom of outside. There were few people nursing drinks or chatting at the bar and the tables and after a quick once over of the room Edward strolled casually to the bar and ordered a drink. Tonks and Remus fell in beside him. He smiled and made light conversation with the pretty barmaid, making sure to stay far out of his normal character for safety's sake. It was something that he had picked up over the years from Mustang. A charming person could winkle out much more from unsuspecting people than an abrasive personality could. It was hard work for him, but he had managed to learn how.

It had shocked Winry to the toes when he had turned the force upon her. In fact, as he recalled, she hadn't spoken a word for the rest of the day, she had been in such a stupor.

Tonks and Remus caught the hint and started chatting as well. All in all they looked unremarkably normal. Edward's eyes keenly scanned the room over and over again, for some glimpse of Harry or Ron, or better yet, both. After an hour Edward began to worry.

"Edward?" Remus asked _sotto voce._

"Hm?" Edward spared him a glance and a raised eyebrow.

"Where are they?"

The alchemist frowned and took a sip from his drink. "I do not know," he admitted. "They should have been here vhen ve arrived. This is troubling."

"I should say," Tonks agreed. "Those two might be terrible mischief makers but they know what's important."

Remus sighed and shook his head. "You two really need to tell me who it is we're waiting for."

Edwards eyes flicked once more about the room and then settled on his friend. "I believe you people call him The Boy who Lived."

Remus's eyes widened, almost doubling in size. "Harry?" he breathed. "And that would mean... Ronald as well?"

"Indeed," Edward frowned and dug into his pocket for some wizard money he had made on the sly some months back. He counted out what the drinks they had slowly been sipping away at cost and tossed in a couple more sickles for good measure. "Well, there is nothing ve can do right now, is there?"

"Aren't you worried?" Tonks hissed. Edward shot her a blank glance.

"Of course. I am not vithout a heart, _Frau_ Tonks," he said calmly. "But until ve get out of public eye there is nothing ve can do about this."

"Edward's right," Remus agreed, standing as well. He held his hand out to assist Tonks to her feet and soon enough the three of then were outside in the chill wind and smothering darkness. Edward tugged his coat closer and glared into the gloom, trying to think of what to do next.

"We're going to see what we can find out about this?" Tonks asked.

"That vould be vise," Edward agreed.

"Then I have an idea," Remus said.

* * *

Edward drummed his cloth-covered flesh fingers on the tabletop as he stared out into space, seemingly oblivious to his surroundings. His automail arm was propped up on the table, his head rested on the unyielding palm. As of yet there was nothing on the missing boy-wonder and his trusty sidekick. It was most irritating and vexing that his informants knew nothing on the subject of the missing pair or key players in this little wizard war.

Most irritating.

With a scowl Edward pushed to his feet and shoved his hands into his pants pockets. He had a class to get ready for, a practical-Friday class which meant that he had all of his students at the same time. Since it was sunny and almost hinting at warm outside Edward figured that they might as well take advantage of that good fortune and hold the class out of doors rather than try to fit into the classroom. It had been interesting trying to keep control of his Friday classes in the past and he idly wondered if he was a masochist for wanting to take them outside today. That was just asking for trouble.

Nevertheless he tacked a note on the classroom door and headed outside. Classes were in session at the moment so there was hardly anyone in the corridors, Filch and his cat being the only exceptions. Edward found that he missed the noise of the military office buildings, of having his subordinates nag him into taking a break, even dealing with Mustang whenever he deigned to drop by. It was strange how leaving home made everything look so much more pleasant. He guessed this was the rose-coloured glasses that people spoke about. Intellectually Edward knew that he should enjoy the peace he had here as much as he could, but there was only so much peace, boredom, that he could take without resorting to creative solutions. Like climbing walls.

Once outside in the fresh air Edward's eyes surveyed the grounds and he smiled a small smile. Barely a lifting of the corners of his mouth, but still a smile. Things weren't going as well as he would like but at least he had several someones to take his frustrations out on. That made things a little better, not much but at least it was tolerable.

Edward was still standing out on the grass when his students began to arrive, most looking equally puzzled and excited at once. This was the first class he would hold outside since it started to get downright chilly. But since the weather was looking up Edward decided to take advantage of it. Once everyone had arrived, about thirty students in total, Edward turned his attention on them.

"Belt up, you lot," he snapped borrowing a phrase he had heard Tonks use once or twice when she wanted the kids to settle down. He didn't quite understand the full meaning of it but the effects could be seen immediately as the students chatter was silenced as if by magic. An amusing comparison, considering where he was teaching.

His golden eyes caught the sunlight as he surveyed the children standing nervously before him. Almost by a force of habit he allowed his lips to quirk upwards in a grimly sadistic smirk, one of the looks he'd get when about to cause someone a great amount of pain. The wiser of his students started getting even more nervous than they had previously been. They had gotten to know that look and it was not a good look to have directed in their direction.

Taking full advantage of their sudden uneasiness Edward shoved his hands into his pockets and rocked back on his heels and grinned. "Who brought paper and pens vit' them?" he asked. There was a good show of hands. Everyone had brought their supplies. Good. "Today vill be small test for you. I vant you to pick an array and create something vit' anything you can find out here. You have an hour." And with that stated he sat himself down on the ground and pulled a notebook and pen out of his coat pocket and started writing. Ever vigilant he kept one eye on the milling, and confused, students as he wrote. Most were looking quite at a lose as to what they could do, some were frantically flipping through their textbooks to find arrays and all were talking.

Edward knew that there was plenty of material to work with in the spot he had chosen. Close enough to the lake that water was no problem, on the fringe of the Forbidden Forest if any wanted to use wood and of course the ever present earth that was everywhere. None of them were skilled enough to manipulate metal, much less fire or air, so there was no point in going out of his way to make that accessible as well. Anyway the students decided to go Edward had time on his hands as a glorified babysitter.

Halfway through the time alloted for class, and after everyone had gotten themselves organized, an owl arrived. The spotted brown barn owl dropped a letter directly into Edward's lap before landing in front of the alchemist. Edward frowned at the owl as he opened the letter and scanned the contents.

His mood took a sudden turn downwards and the owl fluttered away.

It took so much of his self-control not to crumple the letter and light it on fire but Edward carefully folded it instead and slid it into one of his pockets, trying to look unaffected. Few of the students had noticed the messenger bird and since Edward wasn't wasn't doing anything out of the ordinary they brushed it off as odd but not noteworthy. Just as he hoped they would. Mustang would be so proud of him if he could see him now. After all, it was the Major General that Edward had learned how to manipulate people from and he was a very good student when he wanted to be.

* * *

"We have problem," was the first thing Edward said when he entered the Staff Lounge. Tonks and McGonagall looked up and the tiny Charms Professor, Flitwick, put down his teacup.

"What's wrong Edward?" McGonagall asked, too shocked to find him willingly in the Staff Lounge room without having to be dragged in to even remember to be frosty because of his rudeness.

Edward retrieved the letter and quickly flipped it open with deft fingers. He began to read. "Dear Mister Heidrich," he started, "I understand that you are in possession of something of mine, something that I want back. I also have something that I think you are interested in. You know vhat it is that you have that I require. Deliver it to me and I vill consider turning Harry Potter and Ronald Veasley over to you." Edward looked up, deadly fire in his eyes, "Signed, Lord Voldemort."

The silence was smothering. No one quite knew what to say.

"Why did he contact you about this?" McGonagall asked, her eyes wide and her pointed face pale as paper. "What is it that you have that he wants?"

"I don't have it," Edward growled, finally crushing the letter in his fist as he ran his fingers distractedly through his hair. "_Generalmajor_ Mustang has it. A horcruz. His horcruz! How did he get Potter? Who betrayed us?" He began to pace the length of the room, his hands clenching and unclenching as he restrained himself from hitting something.

"How long do you think it would take to get the horcrux back from Mustang?" Flitwick asked, his voice quavering a little.

"At least three days," Edward said, trying not to snap at the little man. "I cannot give it to him, it have to be destroyed and ve have to get the rest and destroy them as vell. But I don't know what the last vone is!" He was just about at the point of pulling out his hair at the moment. As last he dropped into a chair and started muttering in German. He pulled out his notebook and started scribbling a message.

"Edward," Tonks started. She had been around the alchemist enough to see that he was not only upset about this turn in events he was blaming himself. Edward did not look up from his writing. "Edward, Harry and Voldemort are destined to fight each other, this isn't your fault. Neither one can live in peace while the other is still alive."

Suddenly his pen broke, the nib snapping from the sudden pressure he had put on it. Edward stared off into space, his mouth agape. He turned his sharp gaze on his friend and her hair faded to a worried blue. "_Frau_ Tonks, you are _genie_!" he exclaimed, jumping up. "That is it! Ve can finish this now!"

"Finish?" Tonks gasped as Edward swept her into a tight and very sudden hug before running out of the door, his note clutched in his fist. "Finish what? Edward! Wait!" She took off after him.

Edward ran straight and unerring in his path to the Owlry. Tonks was panting, desperately trying to get some oxygen into her body, when she finally caught up with him. "Edward!" she gasped, "What in the world was that about? Finish what? What did you figure out?"

Before he turned, Edward launched an owl out of one of the windows, the mote clutched in its talons. When he did face her he was grinning a maniacal grin. "You told me vhat the last horcruz is," he said.

"I did?" she was taken aback, "What is it? Where is it?"

"Vit' Voldemort, and you are not going to like vhat it is."

* * *

It was a good thing that it was the start of the weekend when he had received Voldemort's taunting letter, Edward reflected as he stared at the passing scenery of Britain as he rode on the Hogwarts Express train. Tonks had followed him and was now sitting opposite to him. Neither one had spoken once since they had left the school and it did not look like either was going to speak for some time. They had passed the farming countryside and were now moving into a more industrialized area that Edward assumed was the city of London.

Edward was unfamiliar with the area but Tonks wasn't. This was her home territory, after all, and he was glad that she decided to come along for just that reason. When the train pulled into the station Edward collected his one bag, a ratty knapsack that he had borrowed from Winry after she had bought a new one, and followed Tonks off. Remus was waiting for them. Tonks gave him a quick kiss and soon the three of them were trotting off to goodness knew where.

It turned out to be a pub, a dingy, dark and smoky place were everyone seemed to be keeping to themselves. Remus and Tonks made a beeline for the bar and held a quick conference with the barkeeper. Tonks turned and beckoned Edward to join them.

"This is Edward, Tom," she said, "This year's Alchemy Professor."

"An alchemist?" Tom looked surprised.

"_Ja,_" Edward raised an eyebrow, used to the reaction, "Vhat of it?"

"He's the best, Tom, trust us," Remus assured the older man, "but we'll need a room and we'll need you to pretend that we're not here." He passed a generous amount of gold over, hidden under his cupped hand. So that was why Tonks had asked him to make some money, Edward realized. Makes sense. Bribery worked wonders.

"Not a problem," Tom assured them. "Just one room for the three of you?"

"That's right."

"Very good," he pocketed the money and fished a key out from somewhere under the bar and handed it to Remus. "Have a good stay."

"Thanks Tom," Tonks smiled and the three of them vanished upstairs.

"Vhy are ve stopping here?" Edward hissed, not feeling very pleased that he had not been consulted on this.

"We have three days, don't we?" Tonks said practically. "Three days before you get what it is He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named back, right?"

Edward rolled his eyes at the nickname for Voldemort and shook his head. "_Nein, Frau_ Tonks," he corrected. "_Generalmajor_ Mustang is going to destroy the horcruz vhen he gets my message. All ve have to do is find Voldemort, destroy the last vone and then kill your Dark Lord. Ve are not going to bargain vit' him, ve are going to destroy him. That is my job."

"Edward," Remus started, both his eyes and Tonk's eyes wide as saucers, "why didn't you consult us before you made this decision? A move like that could get Harry and Ronald killed!"

"Take this in the room, boys," Tonks directed grimly. She pushed both Edward and Remus through the open door to their room and closed it firmly behind them. It closed, in Edward's opinion, with a sound akin to a death knell.

"Edward, explain yourself," she said sternly, her hair a thunderous charcoal gray.

"Explain vhat?" Edward snapped back defensively.

"Why did you make such a decision without talking about it to us beforehand!?" she all but screeched. Edward's eyes got that hard glint in them as his back stiffened. It was an expression akin to the one he used when fighting with Mustang and if either Tonks or Remus had ever seen it in action before they would have prepared themselves for quite the cat fight.

"What makes you think, _Frau _Tonks, that doing vhat Voldemort vhants vould be any better? Do you not want to see him destroyed also? I thought that vas vhat your people vanted," he challenged brazenly, flicking his braid over his shoulder. "My mission is to see Voldemort destoyed. That is vhat your government asked of mine and I vill see my orders out."

"But you could have consulted with us, Edward," Remus said, rubbing his temples and sitting on the edge of the one bed in the room.

"Vhy? Vhat good vould that have done? You both are vonderful people but I alvays vorked alone when my_ Bruder_ vas not vit' me," he shrugged fluidly and leaned up against a wall, for all appearances quite relaxed. About as relaxed as a cat on the hunt, in actual fact. Edward was rarely truly relaxed and this certainly was not one of those rare moments.

"But you're not working alone right now, Edward," Tonks ran her hand through her short hair, looking quite irritated in contrast to Edward's outward indolence.

"You are a _gut_ friend, _Frau_ Tonks, but I have never played vell vit' other children," Edward asserted. "Ask my_ Bruder._"

"This isn't a game Edward! We're fighting for people's lives here!"

Fire flared to life in Edward's cat-like eyes. "I know that and since that is vhat ve are doing none of us should make mistake, _ja?_" he quirked a humorless half-smile at them. "I have a terrible habit of not following rules, ask anyvone who knows me."

Remus and Tonks stared at him with narrowed eyes. "We don't like it, Edward," Remus said after a full minute of tense silence.

"You don't have to," Edward shot back. "But vhat is done is done, is it not? The past is _unveränderlich._"

* * *

Edward sent the letter to Voldemort that evening, baiting the Dark Lord with words that he wanted to hear. They would wait for the reply and subsequent directions as to where the showdown was supposed to be in their shared room in the Leaky Cauldron. Neither Tonks nor Remus happened to be very happy with Edward at the moment. Unfortunately for the pair it did not look like their combined disapproval affected him in the slightest regard. In fact Edward was curled up slitting on the floor reading some book he had brought with him from Amestris that was filled with complex arrays and lengthy mathematical equations.

The room was very quiet.

Edward glanced out of the window to what was visible of the sky from his angle. It was clouding over. What did the literature scholars call that? Sympathetic Fallacy, or something along those lines. When the world, weather, whatever mimicked what was happening or about to happen. Something like that. He wondered what the clouds foretold. Couldn't be anything good.

He wondered idly if there was an alchemical way to tamper with the weather. Probably, but it would take quite a lot of energy to do it. One of these days he might try it out, just to see if it would work. After all, if he could pull water from thin air...

Of course, he admitted, there was a large gap between pulling water out of moist air and making a sunny day out of a rainy one. But it would be interesting to see if it were at all possible. All hail the lacking requirement for arrays! You couldn't draw an array on air but he could lay a virtual one pretty much anywhere. This was handy when he couldn't actually touch what he was transmuting, or when he just wanted to look impressive. Either one worked for him in a pinch.

Something dark and shadowy fluttered by the window and Remus flicked it open, admitting the owl. It fluttered to perk on a bedpost, dropping the letter it held in front of Edward. The alchemist picked it up and opened it with precise care.

He smirked.

"What is it?" Tonks asked, her voice hardly breaching a whisper.

"Note from a friend," he said, tucking it into his pants pocket. He wrote a reply and gave it to the owl. "Harry and Ronald vill be taken care of vhen the fighting starts, do not vorry."

"What do you mean?" Remus frowned.

Edward grinned conspiratorially. "Never betray your spies, vas vone of the first things that _Generalmajor_ Mustang taught me vhen I became _Oberst._ It has been _gut _advice, _ja?_"

"Edward, this is getting dangerous, keeping us in the dark like this," Tonks protested, still mad at her friend and colleague. "We're not your enemies here."

"And I know that. But I have never vorked vit' anyvone other than my_ Bruder_ before, so please excuse if I do not vork vell vit' others," he shook his head. "But honestly, I cannot tell you who is my spy on Voldemort. Vhat you don't know can't be said under torture and I vould rather him not dead. Just trust me on this, please?"

Tonks and Remus shared a glance. "Then trust us too, Edward," Remus sighed.

Edward hesitated, not looking at them as he released the owl back outside. "I vill try," he said at last, once the owl had vanished over the rooftops. "But don't expect much from me."

* * *

Voldemort's reply letter came later that evening, after the setting of the sun and the rising of the nearly vanished moon. Edward passed it to both Tonks and Remus in turn and the three of them steeled themselves for the fight to come. Edward had capitulated and talked out a plan with them, going against his very personality and allowing them to take part in the planning. He warned them that the plan wasn't likely to make it past the initial stages. They responded that they were well aware that his style of fighting tended to lean towards the spectacular and they would work with that.

The legend of the Fullmetal Alchemist preceded him. Edward almost had to laugh at the fact. Alphonse had always warned him that fighting like a hellion would get him in trouble one of these days. While he wouldn't say that this was trouble that his reputation had gotten him into it was embarrassing to hear that was known that well even across a continent.

Ah, infamy. Was it a good thing or a bad thing to be known as a dangerously unpredictable combative State Alchemist? Edward couldn't decide. Being famous had its up points if Tonks and Remus knew that trying to guess what he was going to do would be a gesture in futility. Even Alphonse, the one person in the world who knew him as well as he did himself, could hardly guess where Edward's fighting would take him.

But it had won him a war before, not to mention repeated visits to the Gate of Truth. Tenacity was a wonderful thing.

Edward knew that the plan that he had worked out with Remus and Tonks probably wouldn't last long and he was already going over alternative stratagems that took into account innumerable variables. His mind was whirring and turning end over end with all of the possibilities of what there could be. Sometimes, even now in a small corner of the back of his brain, Edward wondered how normal people thought, people who hadn't survived the Gate of Truth. He wondered what he would have been if he didn't have the knowledge of Truth crammed into his head, if he had learned alchemy just like everyone else. What would Edward Elric be if he were normal?

But now was not the time to be entertaining and dwelling on such thoughts, now was a time to get ready for a fight, not that Edward Elric, Fullmetal Alchemist, Hero of the People, Defender of the Innocent and all around Scrappy Little Guy needed to prepare himself for a fight. Edward was always ready for a fight, that was just the way he was. In the meantime though they had to get to the appointed rendezvous.

Correction, Edward had to get to the rendezvous. Tonks and Remus would be doing other things, other things that needed to be done if this was going to work.

At the moment Edward was making his way across a strangely deserted and eerie field. Mist clung to the tall grasses and there were a few dead or dying trees scattered here and there that loomed ominously in the darkness. Scarce moonlight reflected off the mist, illuminating it with the barest hint of a glow. Something hooted and screeched in the distance. Edward wondered where such a stereotypical haunt of all things evil and dark had come from. He hadn't even gone all that far out of London and here it was.

Spooky.

Edward stopped in what he judged to be the approximate halfway point into the field. A cold wind whipped straight through his coat sending a dull ache into the bone around his automail ports. He cursed and rubbed at his arms and shoulder. He shifted his weight from foot to foot, not from anxiousness but as a way to keep his automail leg from freezing up. That dissertation that Winry had sent him had explained that it wasn't electricity that kept the automail working but rather the fact that it was attached to his living body. The blood moving through his veins and the electrical impulses that fired along his nerves was what kept the mechanical limbs in working order.

That was why they still were very functional and able to be used inside Hogwarts, the place where magic was supposedly strong enough that it short-circuited everything electrical, and a good thing too otherwise he would have been outed far sooner than he had already been, what with having to call Winry up from Amestris for an emergency repair and remolding. That would have been a fiasco and a half, he thought wryly.

The waiting game that Voldemort was playing was starting to get to Edward. He had never really been known for his patience in anything other than alchemy and this was getting downright trying. Who did that trussed up snake think he was, anyways? Stupid crackpot magicians and their stupid delusions of grandeur. He'd just about had it with people bent on domination and power. Megalomaniacs were nothing but trouble. Better deal with them before they had the whole town brainwashed, when they were still a relatively small operation extorting money out of people that couldn't afford it. It was so much simpler to take them out then than when they had grown into a festering rot that was spread throughout more territory than could be crossed in a day.

Edward shook his head. What he wouldn't give to have Alphonse with him right now. Battles were so much less dangerous when there was someone to watch your back, and Alphonse was almost as skilled as he was in alchemy, not to mention he was already used to fighting complementary to Edward's unorthodox fighting style. But Alphonse was back at home in Resembool and not in London.

Probably a good thing. Edward didn't want him involved in something like this. The Philosopher's Stone was a bad enough thing to get mixed up in and that was all on home ground. This was another foul business but at least not invading their home.

Something barked in the distance. A fox, if Edward remembered what they sounded like. He wished that this whole mess would just be over and done with.

A sudden snap of displaced air and Edward wasn't alone in the field anymore.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

_**Prinzessin**_** and Saint Valentine's**

"So you are Voldemort, Dark Lord and all around Villain of the Vizarding Vorld," Edward said languidly, hitching up an eyebrow. "I say the descriptions don't do you justice. You're late." He was surprisingly calm, in the opinion of the newly arrived dark wizards and witches, in the face of a living paragon of evil. His arms were crossed and he cocked his head to one side, considering the mob that had just arrived and surrounded him. There had to be at least twelve of them, all in black robes, their faces covered with white masks. Every one of them with the exception of the self-styled Dark Lord himself, of course.

"And you are the Alchemist," Voldemort sneered. "You have something of mine."

"And you must be stupid if you think that I vould give you something like that vithout seeing Harry and Ronald right now," he shot back. Some of the Death Eaters hissed at his audacity. Edward's golden eyes scanned the amorphous black against black shapes with a careless eye. "And vhat is vith the minions? You scared to meet vith me alone?"

"And you must consider me a fool if you think that I have not heard of what you are capable of doing," Voldemort shot back.

Edward tipped his head. "_Touché__,_" he acknowledged. "Vhere's Harry and Ronald?"

"Where's my Horcrux?" Voldemort shot back, just as implacably.

"Safe," was all Edward said. "And if you give me Harry and Ronald I vill tell you vhere to find your horcuz."

Voldemort scowled. "No deal, brat," he hissed, sounding much like the snake he resembled.

"Too bad," Edward shrugged. His arm snapped out and two gleaming daggers thudded into the masks of the Death Eaters on either side of Voldemort. Curses and jinxes flew through the air, hungrily seeking out the alchemist. Edward ducked, rolled, dodged and closed in. He was terribly outnumbered and there really was very little that was helpful about the terrain he found himself fighting on, but at least he had some tricks up his sleeve that would give the magicians some pause.

As he leaped away from a angry red bolt of light Edward brought his hands together in a familiar position. He then dove into a handspring that drove his boot-clad feet into the chest of some Death Eater that was conveniently in the way. A curse caught the fringe of his coat, setting it on fire. Edward quickly discarded the burning portion before setting about running as fast as he could _away_ from the chaos.

As expected the Death Eaters gave chase like hounds after a fox. But even the best hounds should never underestimate the tenacity of a cornered fox. Edward brought his hands together, not straight on but glancing the palms together sharply. Sparks raced through the air before blossoming into great tongues of flame that spiraled upwards and lit up the night. Screams were both cut short and allowed to spiral on and on. Edward watched dispassionately, directing the fire as much as he could away from himself. They had been caught unawares and had not had the time to take precautionary measures, what little there were, for fighting against an Alchemist of the Country-State of Amestris.

He counted the charred remains and came up with two less than there should have been. Voldemort had gotten away and so had someone else.

Edward hoped that everything was going well with Remus and Tonks.

* * *

"_Alohomora,"_ Remus whispered, pointing his wand at the lock of the door. There was a echoing clicking sound and the door opened at the push that the werewolf gave it.

"I hope Edward got his directions right," Tonks whispered. She looked around nervously. The house looked deserted but that did not mean much. They muffled the sounds of their movements with a silencing charm and followed the very detailed map that Edward's spy had provided him. Whoever Edward had on the inside here was quite good.

"Looks to be right so far. I just hope this isn't a trap," Remus muttered as they felt they're way along, not daring a light.

"It won't be," Tonks insisted. "Edward's got too much trust in this spy of his for him to be a Judas."

Something creaked. Tonks and Remus froze in their tracks. Neither dared to breath for fear of alerting whatever was there to their presence. There was a sandpaper sound, scales against wooden flooring, a snake moving. Nagini. Tonks hit the giant snake with a petrifying jinx and Remus followed that up with a curse that left the snake little bits of stuff all over the corridor.

"Ick," Tonks complained before hurrying after her boyfriend and co-infiltrator.

"We should be near the room they're keeping Harry and Ron," Remus said after they descended a flight of stairs to what felt like the basement. The air was damp and cool and it smelled musty, as if none of the windows had been opened in quite a long time. Obviously the Dark Lord needed a new housekeeper, if he even had one.

"Which room is it?"

Remus counted doors before he pushed one open. "This one," he said definitively and canceled the silencing spell on himself. "Hello Harry, Ronald."

"Professor Lupin!" the boys gasped. They were both sitting against the wall, their hands chained over their heads and both looking quite beaten upon. Tonks rushed forward to undo the manacles and check them over for any serious injuries.

"How did you find us?" Harry asked.

"Edward really does have friends everywhere," Tonks said. "He's using himself as bait to give us time to get you two out of here."

"He's what?" Ron exclaimed. "That's mad!"

"That's Edward for you." Tonks shook her head and helped them to their feet. "But don't worry about him. I'd worry more about the Death Eaters than Edward. He knows how to take care of himself in a pinch."

"He is a State Alchemist after all," Remus added with wry amusement.

"Let's just hope that his reputation holds true."

The boys looked confused. "Reputation?"

Tonks and Remus shared a wryly conspiratorial glance. "That's Edward's business," Remus said.

"I'm starting to feel like we're missing something here Harry," Ron commented as they hurried up the stairs and out of the house.

"I think you might be right," Harry agreed with his friend.

* * *

Edward didn't return to their shared room for at least an hour after everyone else. When he did let himself in it was to cries of shock and worry.

"Edward!" Tonks exclaimed as she rushed forward to help him across the room to sit on the edge of the bed, "What happened?"

"Vater," he croaked. Remus fetched him a glass and Edward gratefully drank it down. He passed a dirty and singed glove over his eyes and slumped, suddenly feeling quite overtaxed. "Did you destroy the house?"

"To the last brick," Remus assured.

"_Gut._" Edward sighed. "Hello Harry, Ronald. It is nice to see you two are vell."

"All things considered," Harry said with just a hint of gallows humor.

"What happened, Edward?" Tonks repeated, not liking being ignored. Edward smirked a almost unnoticeable smirk.

"You vere at my_ Einschätzung, ja?_" he asked, looking up into her eyes. Tonks' eyes widened in horror.

"Edward, what did you do?" she hissed, not liking where her train of thought was going.

"Do not vorry," Edward shook his head. "I made certain to make it look like it vas accident. No bones left. I got them all but two, I think. Voldemort is not dead and my spy as vell, I hope. I did varn him to get out of there vonce I started fighting."

Remus, Harry and Ron all looked lost. "What did he do?" Remus asked.

"I used Fire Alchemy," Edward stated. "But my control is... not _perfekt_ yet."

"He blew them up. He blew the entire area up. Edward, no wonder you look like you were dragged through a war!" Tonks exclaimed.

"You what?" Harry blinked, dumbfounded.

Ron grinned. "Wicked mate."

Edward shrugged and peeled off his gloves. What that revealed was a shock to both Harry and Ron and neither one could do more than just stare for the moment. The metal of his automail right arm glinted brightly in the almost dim light that was cast by the oil lamps and candles. He dropped the gloves on the floor and his ruined coat soon followed. Ignoring the people around him Edward inspected his automail arm, wiping off the dirt and ash that had dirtied it despite the cloth coverings, all the while muttering something under his breath about it needing a tuneup.

"Blimey!" Ron gasped at last, "What in the world is that?"

"This?" Edward looked up, lifting his arm.

"Is that a mechanical arm?" Harry asked, having more knowledge of nonmagical things than his friend.

"_Ja,_ it is. It's called Automail and I don't vant to talk about it." Edward pierced them both with an unsettling glare.

"Just drop it boys," Remus advised wisely. "It's a sore point for him."

"Sore is right," Edward agreed. "I think I have something that needs to be fixed. The timing is slow and it almost got me killed in that fight."

"What about bringing your mechanic here to look at it?" Tonks suggested. Edward laughed.

"Do you know how much Vinry vould charge me for that? She charges too much vhen she has to go to Central because I am in hospital and cannot go to her. That girl has no pity!" Edward shook his head. "_Nein,_ it has been worse, I vill live vit' it like this for as long as I can. Besides, I do not think that my government vould like to pay that bill," he smirked and shook his head.

"Why? How much would it cost to get it fixed?" Remus asked, interested.

Edward sighed and rolled his eyes, "Normally?" Remus nodded obligingly and Edward named a figure. Everyone in the room blinked, their jaws dropping. "And that is only repair and adjustment," Edward explained.

"What about getting her to come to you?" Tonks ventured.

"Double it, at least. If she were to come here," Edward guessed, "probably more than that."

"Why so much?" Harry asked, sounding a little strangled. Edward shrugged.

"Automail is difficult to make and Vinry and _Oma_ are the best Automail _mechaniker_ there are," Edward boasted. "My automail is the best that Vinry makes."

"Why is that?" Ron asked, dubiously eying the metal hand.

"Because Vinry, my_ Bruder_ and I have been friends all our lives," Edward smiled fondly. "Vhen I got my automail it vas Vinry and Oma who did the operation and ever since then it has been my automail that Vinry vorks on the most."

"How long have you had this... automail?" Harry asked, frowning.

Edward shrugged, "Years now. Since I vas eleven."

"How on earth did you manage to lose your arm?" Ron asked.

Now Edward looked away, back down to his mechanical hand. "I vas trying to save my_ Bruder's_ life, Ronald, and I vould appreciate it if you vould not press any further."

"Oh – okay," Ron looked uncomfortable but didn't bring it up again.

* * *

Edward was awake before any of them the next morning, wearing a new pair of gloves and his singed shirt repaired with the scraps of his old pair of gloves and his coat combined. He looked, for the most part, as good as new. He was also bearing breakfast and coffee.

"Coffee!" Harry moaned in bliss as he took a deep breath of the beverage.

"What is that stuff, Harry?" Ron asked, leaning over to catch a glimpse.

"The muggle version of a Pepper-Up potion," Harry explained. "It's not as quick but it tastes better."

"I can't stand the stuff," Tonks muttered, rolling off the bed – since she was the only lady present she was awarded the privilege of a mattress to sleep on. Everyone else had camped out on the floor.

"Why not?" Harry asked.

"It's too bitter," she explained.

"Add sugar," came a prompt suggestion from both Harry and Edward. Harry grinned at the alchemist; Edward shrugged and downed the rest of his coffee.

"Ve need," Edward started, "to decide vhat to do vith Harry and Ronald."

"That's true," Remus agreed. "We can't just let you two run around the countryside with Voldemort in the state he is."

"It was bad enough before, but now we're going to have to insist," Tonks backed up her boyfriend.

"But we can't stop looking now!" Harry protested. "Voldemort still has one horcrux out there just waiting to be found!"

Edward looked contemplative but said nothing. It was Tonks and Remus that pressed the case. They argued their case and put their combined foot down deciding between them that the boys would be better off hidden at Hogwarts. Edward tended to agree on that point. He said as much, much to Harry and Ron's displeasure.

"And you can come villingly," he said matter-of-factly but with a half grin, "or ve can lock you into a room and feed you your meals through a slot in the door. I've had that done to me. It's really very boring."

"How did someone manage to lock you up?" Tonks asked, curiosity eating away at her.

"Tied my hands apart. Didn't vork for long but vhile I vas being held I vas more bored than I have ever been before," he said with a fatalistic shrug. "But that vas then and those men are now rotting in jail for harming a State Alchemist." And for a couple other things as well, but that was another story and retelling it in detail might breach some copyright laws. And we don't need to do that right now.

"Would you really do that to us?" Ron asked. He looked quite troubled. Not surprising considering they had just been rescued from such a dismal situation.

Edward showed little pity. "If I had to I vould do it," he said firmly. Ronald blanched.

"Hogwarts it is then," he said. Harry looked like he wanted to protest but was holding it in. Edward regarded him carefully before turning his attention elsewhere.

They were on their way to the Castle within the hour.

* * *

Hogwarts was a large castle, large enough that even with several hundred students – probably only around 250-300 – there were wings that had not been in use for long enough that even the house elves didn't bother to clean anymore. One such wing was found with thanks going to The Marauder's Map that Harry still had in his possession. Edward, Tonks and Remus fixed things up and did a rapid clean so that Harry and Ronald would be able to live there without too much problems. They informed only Professor McGonagall and the house elves that the two boys were in the castle, daring not trust anyone else with the dangerous information.

Harry and Ronald were not happy with the situation but Tonks and Remus made certain that they understood the reasons for it. So they grudgingly accepted their lot, but only after Edward had offered to seal them in a room, leaving only a slot for food and drink to be passed through. Thankfully, though they may be reckless and foolhardy, they were not stupid.

"Still don't like it," Harry muttered. No one paid him any heed. He was just being stubborn at this point and they all knew it, him included.

"Suck it up, _Prinzessin_," Edward muttered back, getting just a little annoyed at the stubbornness. His contemporary English vernacular was getting to be quite extensive in some areas. Such as insulting and telling people off. For Edward such things were a necessity, part of his very personality.

"What did you just call me?" Harry rounded on the shorter blond. Edward's golden eyes focused hard on the boy-wonder.

"_Prinzessin,"_ he said slowly. "Vhy? You have problem vith that? That is vhat you are acting like, _Herr_ Potter."

"You have a lot of nerve, Kraut," Harry snarled, rearing for a fight or any kind. Edward glared ice at the younger boy.

"I am not a German," he said stiffly. "I am an Amestrian. If you wish to insult me then please get the right information, if you don't mind. Not only that I am a officer of the Amestris State Military and answer only to two people, _Generalmajor_ Mustang and the _Fuhrer_ himself, in that order."

"Oo," Harry mocked, "I'm so impressed."

"Harry," Remus chided sharply. "Pay Edward respect."

"He started it!" Harry protested.

"How old are you Harry?" Tonks asked pointedly. Harry flushed and stormed away. Edward nodded to both Remus and Tonks and took his own leave, exhausted and wanting nothing more than a very hot bath and sleep. Dealing with the Bratty Boy-Wonder and his trusty sidekick the Red Weasel had taken a lot of patience that he did not have.

It was only two wrong turns and a detour later and Edward was soaking in hot water up to his chin. His hair was loosed from all of its restraints and his eyes were closed in an attempt to relax. He tried to remember what his teacher had taught him about relaxation. Edward carefully relaxed one muscle group at a time until he was feeling quite boneless. His mind, ever active, went over what had happened with Voldemort and getting Harry and Ronald to Hogwarts. He devised several possible strategies from their present position. He planned what he would be doing for that weeks lessons. He wondered what Alphonse, Winry and Granny were doing.

How he missed them.

Edward dunked his head under the steaming water briefly, wetting his long hair, and reached for the bottle of shampoo he kept by the side of the giant bathtub. He washed his hair with one hand, having learned years back that metal joints and hair do not mix comfortably. It was a tedious chore but the mundane task gave him something to focus on. Something that was not at all connected to Harry Potter or Voldemort.

He should write home. That was something that he suddenly realized, much to his chagrin, that he had been quite remiss in doing.

With a loud sigh Edward levered himself out of the great tub and snagged a towel. He quickly dried himself off and slipped into his sleepwear, long cotton pants and a sleeveless white shirt. Over that he tugged on a warm robe that he had made, long enough for a centimeter or two to trail on the floor, and warm enough to withstand the winter chill that still clung to the stones of Hogwarts Castle. With mismatched footsteps he picked his way back into his bedroom and settled himself down at his writing desk, the lamps energetically flaring to life. He smiled. His control was getting better. By the time he would be on he way home he would probably be able to light a cigarette without causing any fuss. Edward started writing.

_Dear Alphonse,_

_I'm sorry that I haven't written often lately. I've been very busy. School is going well, the students are just now grasping the basics in time for mid-term examinations. Lucky them, eh? Just in case I didn't mention it before, the advice you gave me really did help. Thanks. How are things at home? How's Winry and Granny? How's that cat of yours doing? Everything alright at home?_

_Things have been quiet at this school, nothing much has changed. It's still cold, which makes my automail ache. Nothing to stop that except keep as warm as I can. I think my rooms and classroom are probably the warmest rooms in the entire castle! You don't know how happy I'll be to come home to Amestris, Alphonse. _

_In the meantime I was wondering if you could do me a favor..._

* * *

Something strange was going on the in the halls of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Edward did not think that he had ever seen so much pink and red together in his entire life. All of the female students were twittering like fools and a good number of the boys were constantly blushing.

And there was something in the air that made Edward think that he should fear for his life.

"What do you mean you don't... wait," Tonks sighed and rubbed her temples. "I shouldn't be surprised, should I? You didn't know about Hallowe'en, Thanksgiving or Christmas either. Does Amestris _have_ any holidays at all?"

Edward shrugged diffidently. "Not many. There's the planting festival, the Midsummer festival, the founding day, the memorial day, the harvest festival and the Midwinter feasts," he listed.

"That's it?" Tonks shook her head. "Well, welcome to the British world, kid. The holiday for February happens to be Saint Valentine's Day, the festival dedicated to lovers."

"Lovers?" Edward squeaked and blushed bright red.

"That's right," Tonks plowed on blithely. "It's the day that rakes in more confessions of love, proposals of marriage and conceptions of children than any other day in the year."

"I think I'm going to die," Edward muttered, covering his face with a gloved hand.

"Aw," Tonks grinned and ruffled his hair. "That's my little innocent Eddy-boy," she cooed.

Edward scowled, still blushing. He knocked her hand away. "Don't call me Eddy-boy," he hissed.

"Whatever you say," Tonks grinned. "So? Have you gotten any love letters yet?"

"_Nein,"_ Edward growled.

"Nine already?" Tonks teased. Edward shot her a withering glare. She laughed and clapped him on the shoulder, wincing as she realized it was his metal shoulder. "Alright, sorry, sorry. But someone has to tease you," she argued.

"Vhy?"

"Because you're too serious by a long shot," she nodded sharply. "You're only eighteen for crying out loud! You shouldn't even have been thinking about dedicating your life to the military as a human weapon when you weren't even a teenager and you shouldn't be more adult than most of the dusty old professors here."

"Bah," Edward waved a hand dismissively. "Many t'ings happen that should not, _Frau_ Tonks, the trick is to live with what has happened and try to make the best of rotten condition."

"Situations," she corrected absently. "You're right, rot you. But that doesn't mean that it should happen."

"Many things should not, but they do anyways."

"And this conversation has turned to the depressing very quickly," Tonks annonced, getting up from behind her desk. "Unlike you, Edward dear, I have class in a couple minutes. Have fun getting to know Saint Valentine's Day." She winked and waved adieu.

* * *

Edward was tromping through the corridors looking for Professor Sprout, still blushing and scowling. It was an interesting combination that he managed to pull off with charm and attraction to spare. Not that he was aware of it. Animal magnetism and all that jazz. It was one of the wonders of the entire headquarters where Edward was stationed – when he was home – that the very young Colonel didn't even know about his charms and an even bigger wonder that he didn't seem to even care about charm period. Many people despaired over him. Even at Hogwarts.

As oblivious as Edward usually was when it came to the opposite sex even he could not escape noticing the small mountain of scented pink paper that had been slid under his office door. Mystified he had opened and read the first three. Then he swept the rest into the fire. Now he was looking for the only motherly figure in the castle that he could trust not to poke fun at him, namely the Herbology Professor.

But she wasn't to be found in the castle, so he took his search out to the greenhouses. There was a class in session, third year by the looks of the students, so Edward waited patiently just outside the door. He sat down on the ground, his back against the wall. The dull drone of voices would have almost lulled him to sleep had it not been for the clammy, damp grass and the biting wind. How he hated this country. Why was he so cursed and hated to have been exiled to this land of mist and rain? What terrible thing had he done to Mustang?

...Recently.

While a good part of Edward was feeling pity for himself another part – he's a genius and thus can do some spectacular multi-tasking – was carefully going over both what Tonks had told him and what had been going on with the students. Something Mustang had said when he had been staying with Edward for Edward's assessment suddenly clicked into place.

He blushed again before violently shaking his head. Winry had said once that he had a face of a god – whatever that was supposed to mean – but the personality of a demon. He had been on pretty much his best behavior here, as difficult as that had been, so the students had only just glimpsed the tip of the iceberg. They didn't even know about his detachable parts! Once that got out – _if_ that got out and Edward hoped it wouldn't – that would cure the fascination with him, despite what Mustang had said. Who, after all, would be attracted to something that resembled a broken toaster? Winry excluded. She was just a nut.

The doors slammed open, startling Edward to his feet. Students chattered like magpies as they passed him. Few of them took notice of him, half hidden by shrubs. When the last of them filtered past Edward slipped through the door, his eyes searching out his quarry. Professor sprout was putting some trowels away. He cleared his throat to announce his arrival.

"Edward!" she exclaimed. She dusted her hands off on her dirty apron and smiled broadly. "What are you doing here? You hardly ever make it out to the greenhouses."

"I, ah," he shoved his hands into his pockets and looked away. "I need to ask you something." It was difficult for him to admit needing help. Thankfully, Sprout just smiled and sat herself down on one of the many tall stools that lined the table, waiting for him to start. Edward coughed and sat down as well, blushing still.

"What is it, Edward?"

Edward licked his lips. "I'm not very good at dealing with people," he admitted to start. Sprout smiled wryly at the understatement. He continued, "Tonks had to tell me about this lover's festival that the students are celebrating. And there vas something that the _Generalmajor_ told me that I think I understand but I vanted to ask you first." He took a deep breath and steeled himself. "Do vomen really find me attractive?"

Sprout stared at him for a full five seconds before bursting into peels of laughter. Edward scowled and looked away, embarrassed beyond anything he had ever endured. The professor apologized, wiping tears of mirth from her eyes. "Oh Edward, my boy," she said between shaky breaths, "do you really not know? Every time you so much as smile half the girls faint dead away and the other half have to attend the Hospital Wing for nosebleeds."

"You mean Mustang vas right?" Edward whined, "That useless commander vith a God-complex vas right? He'll never let me forget this!" He held his head in his hands and tugged impatiently at his hair. "That smug playboy always seems to be right when it comes to vomen, curse him!"

"Is this a problem?" the elder woman asked gently.

"Yes! No. I don't know," he sighed. "I have been receiving many letters from the female students this day...."

"Ah," Sprout nodded sagely. "Young love is in the air and all the girls are getting their hopes up. They are probably thinking that they can, and this is from what I have overheard and is not my words, comfort you while you are so distanced from that lovely boyfriend of yours."

Edward choked. Edward stared. Edward had a minor aneurysm, almost fainted, plotted a very messy death for a certain cocky Major General and screamed inwardly at the bloody and violent crucifixion of his manly pride all in the span of a couple of seconds. "D'ey t'ink," he said slowly, his accent thickening, "t'at _mish_ _und_ _Generalmajor _Mustang are dating?"

Sprout nodded. Edward muttered a string of something so foul that no self-respecting person would repeat. After several minutes of tirade in German, punctuated by the loud cracking of knuckles and flexing of metal fingers, Edward wound down.

"Feeling better?" Sprout asked at last.

"Not very much," Edward admitted. "But I'm not going to kill Mustang now, even t'ough he did d'is on purpose."

"Oh?" Sprout raised an eyebrow. "Did he?"

"_Ja,_ he even said so vhen he vas here," Edward nodded sharply. "Although I did not understand vhat he meant by it at the time. Something about keeping the girls from planned seductions and making my vork easier."

Sprout covered a snort of laughter with a cough, hiding her smile behind a hand. "He might have been right, you know," she pointed out. "After all, battling the combined _amour_ of most of the female student body would have been quite the task to undertake. Even the infamous Fullmetal Alchemist might have been overwhelmed."

Edward snorted his disdain at that particular train of thought.

"Don't hate Mister Mustang too much Edward. He was probably trying to help you in his own way. You are both very proud people but even you should be able to admit that for someone who you say is so in love with all women to make it appear as if he were chasing a man...." She smiled softly, "he was risking a lot of face trying to save you some troubles. From what you've told me about your past it seems like Mister Mustang did his best to raise you and your brother once you came under his command. He probably cares for you a great deal."

Edward wanted to protest but nothing seemed to come out of his mouth. He stared at the older woman, his eyebrows digging deep furrows in his forehead. She was right, he had to admit in the darkest depths of his mind, Mustang did do a lot for him, like a father or an older brother...

Maybe he wouldn't kill him after all.

* * *

There was a smaller pile of notes waiting for him than last time. He supposed the enamored girls had come _en masse_ to deliver the written proof of their devotion. Something about strength in numbers. He leafed through a couple, tossing them straight into the ever crackling fire after he skimmed their contents. It was really amazing how similar they all were, he noted. Were most girls really that simple minded? The only ones he dealt with on any sort of regularity were extraordinary, and he knew it. And they knew it. And most everybody else knew it. But regular girls were foreign to him.

He burned them all, having lost patience with the repetitious ramblings.

The class jumped as he slammed the door open and strode straight for the chalkboard. The only sound was the clicking and scrapings of the chalk against the slate board. His motions were swift and precise, if a little sharp, and he soon spun around to face the startled class. He deliberately made eye contact with every single one of his students before he started talking.

"I think you should know," he said slowly, carefully, "that the mid term examination is arriving soon and that you all had better prepare very carefully for it." Alchemy under Professor Heidrich was a high-stress class. He had been told that this class was even more difficult than Arithmancy, a subject that looked a lot like algebra and calculus to Edward, so much so that Edward had borrowed a seventh year Arithmancy text book so he could work on the problems for fun and relaxation. This sort of thing was fun for Edward but his students thought him a tyrant. Edward did nothing to dissuade this image.

"The examinations vill be focused on all of the basic arrays that ve have covered in theory and in our practical classes. You vill be expected to be able to draw them, write the translated formulas and explain the limitations of the particular array. After that you vill be expected to activate an array of my choice and control the full and complete transmutation. So you should all practice. That is vhat you vill be doing this class. I vill help anyone who requests help."

The students looked about nervously, none of them knowing what to do.

Edward sat down at his desk and motioned for them to get working. He then pulled out a piece of paper and his pen.

_To: Major General Roy Mustang, Flame Alchemist_

_From: Colonel Edward Elric, Fullmetal Alchemist_

_Subject: Mission Report_

_Major General,_

_Potter and Weasley are now safe. They had been taken by Voldemort and the 'Dark Lord' had attempted to use them as bargaining chips. I do not know why he did not just torture and kill them while he had the chance, but from my experience villains are not always sane, ergo they don't make much sense to the rational mind. This may be such a case. _

_I have received a communiqué from my spy in Voldemort's circle that he has begun gathering his forces together and is preparing for all-out war. Personal pride aside I wish to put in a formal request for aid. The magicians on our side are barely a match for the _Death Eaters _because they would rather capture than kill, thus handicapping themselves. This folly could very well be their downfall and if I am to see this mission successful I will need military backup. _

_Colonel Edward Elric, Fullmetal Alchemist_

Edward folded the report carefully, sealing it with a slight touch of alchemy before starting on his second report to Mustang.

_Mustang,_

_Voldemort wanted to trade Potter for the ring. That is why I had you destroy it. Tonks and Lupin destroyed the two he had in his possession, leaving the last wild one in the open. I have a 99.76% certainty about what it is and I am 100% certain that breaking this one will make me very disliked among the 'good guys' that I am working with. That's another reason for my request for backup. I don't want to break this last one until I absolutely have to and when I do I want to be sure that I wall still be able to work uninterrupted. If you could handpick some men – or women if you feel the need – and send them to Hogwarts under a cloak of some sort it would help a great deal. _

_Potter and Weasley are both living in one of the deserted wings of Hogwarts at the moment. I hope to be able to hide them here until the battle breaks out. Potter is rebellious so keeping them a secret is going to be difficult. _

_About the reinforcements, things are not so tense that you need to worry about organizing them immediately. I'll update you on the situation as it progresses. _

_Edward_

Edward scanned the coded message with critical eyes before folding a sealing this one, labeling it 'A Funny Thing That Happened To Me In The Pub, I thought You Might Like It.' He then tucked both reports into his pile of papers that had to be marked. He wouldn't loose them there. After class he'd have to walk his way up to the Owlry and send them.

In the meantime he had rounds to make. After all, a teacher cannot simply lecture, he had to make sure that his students understood his teachings.

And Saint Valentine's Day could be hanged for all he cared.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

**Before the Gauntlet Falls**

Edward hated magic. He knew it before and this only confirmed it again. Aside from the fact that the only law that it followed was its own it was causing him some unexpected difficulties. Even Tonks was as unimpressed with the turn of events as he was. And they both stared silently at the trio of teenagers sitting guiltily before them.

"Do you have any idea how dangerous this could be!?" Tonks railed, pulling at her foggy purple hair, "You could have been found out! You could have bumped into somebody, someone could have walked in on you three. What were you thinking?"

"What's wrong with Hermione knowing we're here?" Harry asked, jutting his chin out defiantly.

"Vhat people do not know," Edward said seriously, "cannot be revealed under torture. You just put _Frauline_ Granger in more danger than she was in before." The boys and Hermione paled. That facet of war obviously not occurred to any of them. Edward allowed his words time to soak in, his usually warm golden eyes frozen brass. "I have seen entire towns razed to the ground because of something someone let slip during a var, because someone told his wife a secret, because a window had been left open. And that vas vith people vithout your magic."

Tonks shook her head, frowning deeply. "Well, there's nothing for it now," she said. "The damage is done and I don't know anyone who is good enough at memory charms to completely erase what's happened. And I don't want to ask Edward if he knows any muggle ways to do it."

"There are drugs that have been made to do that sort of thing," Edward said absently. "And I even have the formulas for them, for my medical research you understand."

"Of course," Tonks said dryly, still frowning at the boys.

"I could make some... but I vish to talk to you in private before I do that, _Frau_ Tonks," he requested.

Tonks followed him off to one side of the room. "What is it?" she asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Even I have morals, you know," he said, "I von't use those drugs unless there is absolutely no other choice. And it vould not be to our advantage if we did use them."

"I know," Tonks nodded. "I wasn't planning on using them either."

"Good," Edward relaxed a little. "They make me nervous. They have too much power. But _Frauline_ Granger knowing about _Herr _Potter and _Herr_ Weasley living here in Hogwarts is only dangerous if she gets captured. She should be watched carefully, protected."

"I agree," Tonks nodded. "That's a good idea, Edward. Should we tell her?"

"That would be best. She is levelheaded girl, she vill understand."

"I hope so."

* * *

_To: Colonel Edward Elric, Fullmetal Alchemist_

_From: Major General Roy Mustang, Flame Alchemist_

_Subject:Reinforcements _

_Fullmetal,_

_Your request for reinforcements has been approved. Personnel have been chosen and are on standby with marching orders. Commanding the unit that will assist you in the war is none other than myself, seeing as you will probably need additional alchemical assistance._

_We await your word, Fullmetal. Watch yourself._

_Major General Roy Mustang, Flame Alchemist_

Edward folded the note and tucked it away with a small smile. He finished his breakfast, nodded to his fellow professors, and quit himself from the table. When he got back to his rooms he had three more notes waiting for him and three owls waiting for replies. These notes disturbed him. He tucked them away as well and wrote quick replies, sending the owls out his window one by one. Once he saw the last owl over the tree line Edward spun about and dashed out back to the Great Hall. He almost scared Filch's cat, Mrs. Norris, to death when he landed next to her, having taken the last dozen steps at a flying leap. He paid the cat no mind and only pulled himself out of the dead run at the large door, straightening his clothing and hair before once again entering the Great Hall.

His return caused a small, but noticeable, spike in the levels of conversation. Edward paid it no mind and made his way to the head table. He stood at what passed at his version of attention and nodded to the Headmistress.

"_Frau_ McGonagall, if I may I vould like to request a moment of your time to discuss a very important matter," he said with a veneer of calm. "A very important matter."

McGonagall wiped her hands on her napkin as she stood, frowning. "We will speak in my office," she said with a nod.

"Thank you," Edward nodded, "_Frau _Tonks, this concerns you as vell so if you vould joun us?"

"Of course, Edward," Tonks said, getting to her feet. She didn't ask any questions inside the Great Hall with so many prying ears. If Edward wanted to interrupt breakfast just to talk to her and McGonagall there must be an excellent reason. As loud as Edward could be and as obvious he was at times he usually had a reason for his actions, rash as they may seem to the casual observer. Even to the trained observer.

McGonagall led the way to her office, the same room that Dumbledore had used for his office. The room was scrubbed clean, books lined neatly along the shelves and papers in stacks on the desk. The Headmistress took her seat and Edward started his summarized report as Tonks sat as well. Edward opted to stand.

"I vill start vith the good news. I had written _Generalmajor_ Mustang and requested assistance, just a small group of his closest men. My request has been approved and Mustang awaits my letter before they march," he said.

"That's nice of him," Tonks said. "Did he have much trouble arranging this?"

Edward shrugged. "Probably more than if it had been any other alchemist here. The new Fuhrer thinks that I cannot be killed."

"Gee, I wonder why."

"What is the bad news?" McGonagall interrupted the banter.

Edward frowned. "Mustang vill not arrive in time."

"What?" Both women could not quite take in the implications of that one, short sentence.

"My informants tell me that Voldemort's army is amassing quickly," he explained. "My spy vith Voldemort believes that open var vill be declared in a week, no more. It would take at least ten days for the _Generalmajor_ to reach Hogwarts vith his men."

"We can hold out," Tonks said, looking at McGonagall for affirmation.

McGonagall was frowning. "How much do you trust these sources of yours, Edward?"

"I am trusting them vith my life, _Frau_ McGonagall," Edward said seriously. "Unlike you _Zauberer_ I do not have a instant vay to escape. I must stay in the fight that I am in, vinning or loosing."

"That's good enough for me," McGonagall nodded slowly. "I'll get in contact with the members of the Order and inform them of the situation. Do you know where the attack will occur?"

Edward shook his head. "No," he said. "But if my spy learns he vill tell me."

"I hope so," McGonagall sighed, picking up her quill pen. "If he isn't found out and killed before then."

"_C'est les vie, c'est les guerre,"_ Edward shrugged fatalistically.

"_C'est les vie, c'est les guerre."_

* * *

Edward had sent the letter to Mustang posthaste, knowing that they would need every minute that haste would bring them. He even mentioned that. Now all Edward could do was act normal, teach his classes and prepare them for the exam that he was supposed to administer just after the time when Voldemort was to attack, and practice his alchemy and fighting.

The worst part of war, he had learned before, was the suspense. And only after that came the fighting.

Hours before dawn to the moment breakfast was served saw Edward outside, preparing the forest for the battle that might just as well be on their very doorstep. He warned the Centaurs – crazy half-horse and human chimeras – about what he was doing. In turn they would warn the other Creatures of Light that inhabited the forest. There was no point, after all, in hurting possible allies. This was every morning and Edward made certain that he was inside, washed up and ready for the day as usual. As a result he had to got o sleep earlier than before, not wanting his mind to be overly clouded by fatigue when the war actually started.

How would it look, after all, for the Fullmetal alchemist to start yawning in the middle of a war? Not even he dared exhibit that much hubris.

Edward's informants were sending reports with more frequency than ever before, each one coded and using different owls every time. No one wanted to be found out for fear of being killed or tortured.

_C'est les guerre_ he kept saying to himself with every note, that is war.

Of course, although Edward hadn't really expected it, Hermione, Ronald and Harry were included in the war plans. Something about them being members of the order of some burning bird as well. He didn't understand all of the particulars but Tonks assured him that they had the right to fight as well and that would just have to be enough of a reason from him.

"Professor?"

Edward turned, forcing a slight smile and a nod to answer the timid girl. "_Ja,_ _Frauline_ Granger? Vhat can I do for you?"

"I have a question about some of the equations for the transmutation arrays that will be on the exam," she said. Edward raised an eyebrow. She was seriously studying for the exam when she knew how close they were to open warfare? This girl needed to get her priorities in order.

"Which equations?" he dutifully asked. She pulled out her textbook and thumbed to a page that had one of the more complex arrays that they had learned – honestly, it wasn't a difficult array and Edward couldn't even remember when he had learned it, it had been so far in the past – an array that had to do with separating standard elements. Stone from metal, mainly.

"It's this part here, the line that translates into the three circles around here," she pointed, "I don't understand what the variables are for."

"I'm not expecting you to," Edward said, "That part von't be covered in this class. Most of the equations that you use in arrays only are necessary if you are making new arrays."

"But--"

"_Nein,_ do not vorry about it." He put a hand on her shoulder. She blushed and closed the book. "I vould vorry more about living through the var than equations that you do not need, _Frauline_ Granger. Some things should take precedence," he whispered before he stood and quit the classroom in favor of his office.

He heard Hermione leave the classroom slowly. His admonishment had been a bit harsh, he supposed, he might have been able to phrase it differently but he had never claimed to be a diplomat, he was the one they sent in when diplomacy didn't or wouldn't work.

Now that all of his students had left Edward retrieved his medical alchemy books, tucked them under his arm and locked the doors behind him. Between his last class and the time that dinner was served Edward had practice. He had a theory that he was slowly gaining the delicacy he needed to prove it. If his plan to destroy the last horcrux was to work Edward had to be absolutely certain that his alchemy could reach even the smallest of places.

It was absolutely essential.

Of course, Edward dared not tell anyone what he was planning, not that anyone noticed him disappearing. And if anyone did find out what he was doing he had excuses, every one of them plausible and near air-tight, that he would give them. Not that he expected anyone would demand an explanation for his actions. He was, after all, a specialized professor, foreign ambassador – after a fashion, since Amestris only spared one State Alchemist for this sort of thing and no one else – and a master alchemist all rolled up into one very attractive package.

Edward took himself out to the back of the great castle to where the chickens were kept. He opened the books, weighting the pages down with small rocks to keep the wind from playing with them, rechecked his facts and started.

Depending on how well he did today would determine how much chicken was served at tonights dinner.

* * *

It was late, Edward noted with a sigh. It was late and he had to sit in a meeting with makeshift generals who were arguing about strategies. Back in Amestris Edward had not been required to attend these sort of meetings seeing as he didn't have the rank or training necessary, but here he was the only one who was – aside from the Aurors, whatever they were supposed to be for, Edward still wasn't certain – adept in combat and tactics.

At the moment there were ten people sitting or standing in Professor McGonagall's, most of them trying to talk at the same time of another. Edward could feel a migraine nudging its way into notice.

"We can't possibly fight this head on," insisted Mr. Aurthur Weasley, Ronald's father. "If Edward's information is correct then we won't have just the Death Eaters and He Who Must Not Be Named to deal with but giants, dementors and every other Dark Creature under the sun! Fighting head on would be suicide!"

"How else can we fight this?" argued Tonks. "It's not like it's our choice, though, not if Voldemort starts the fight," she pointed out.

Edward felt that it was his turn to speak. "My informant vith Voldemort says that he is planning a frontal assault on this very castle," he said, pitching his voice loud enough to gain everyone's attention, "I have been setting up, ah, surprises in the forest for anything that may come through, vith the permission of the inhabitants, of course. Also, while it may arrive a little late into the battle depending on when the battle starts, my Superior Officer, _Generalmajor_ Mustang will be arriving with a small detachment of men to help. So there vill be fresh soldiers and two very skilled alchemists that vill be fighting with you. And the _Generalmajor_ has fought in more major battles than I have years, so he vill be able to command his men in whatever situation ve find ourselves in." He looked around, his golden eyes serious and unflinching, "_Generalmajor_ Mustang is already on his way. I do not know how much any of you know about the Amestris military-" he looked to Tonks.

"Not much." she admitted, "You guys are pretty insular."

"Vell," Edward nodded slowly, "All of the men that _Generalmajor_ Mustang vill bring have already fought in our last civil var. They are the best of vhat is in our entire army. And State Alchemists are known as the 'human veapons' of the Amestris Army. Only the best alchemists can become State Alchemists and few match me in power or the _Generalmajor_ in skill." It was no empty boast. While Edward might be an insubordinate snot who would bite any hand that tried to order him around save one he was, indisputably, the only genius of his caliber that the military had in their dubious control. There were few, Edward admitted to himself, that had been touched by the Truth of alchemy and survived to tell the tale. The Truth had the strangest effects on people. It tended to open more pathways of thought in its visitor's minds, changing them to suit the vast amount of knowledge that they see while in its presence. Some people called this change genius.

Edward called it the mark of absolute stupidity.

"Another alchemist is coming?" Moody asked, "And soldiers? Why?"

"Because I asked them to," Edward said simply, "_Generalmajor_ Mustang trusts my judgment."

"What can this Mustang person and his men do?" asked someone Edward hadn't been introduced to.

Edward smiled wryly, "Vhile I do not know vhich men Musang vill bring, the _Generalmajor_ himself is a specialist vith fire, one of the most dangerous fields of alchemy. He fights vith fire the same vay I fight vith stone and metal and he has had years of practice. You cannot find a more dangerous alchemist to fight against, I believe," he said. And he wasn't lying because for everything but close-range combat Roy Mustang was the best. Once someone got through his defenses their chances at winning were much higher.

"Fire? How does and alchemist fight with fire?"

Everyone who had seen Edward's assessment shuddered. "With explosions," came the simple answer.

"It's very effective," Edward vouched.

There was a murmur of 'I'll say' and 'rather' that floated around the room. Edward, though he would rather die than admit it, was rather proud of his Superior Office. How many people could say that the man who practically raised them was a shoe in for Fuhrer some day? Even if he was a conniving, underhanded, manipulative womanizer with a insatiable God Complex. He was also – and again Edward would never willingly, under normal circumstances, tell Roy this – loyal (like a dog), trustworthy (when he wanted to be), competent (also only when he wanted to be), caring (in his own twisted way) and the best hope that their country had for lasting peace (and this last point was left without a sarcastic comment).

But what did it say when every compliment that Edword could think of to give Roy always came with an amendment?

"How long before they get here, Edward?" Remus asked softly. The room fell silent, waiting for the answer.

Edward counted days off in his head, "Six if there is no problems, eight if there is."

"What if they can't leave?" someone Edward couldn't see for the crowd asked, "What if they can't even leave Amestris because their permission is rescinded?"

Edward cocked his head to one side and grinned wolfishly. "The _Generalmajor_ is a stubborn man," he said, "He vill press to go even if he has to resort to calling in favors that people owe him." It had happened before, quite often, actually, during the civil war. Edward hadn't been around for all of the particulars but he had heard the stories afterwards. "He vill be here."

"If you say so," they said.

"I do."

* * *

Edward rotated his automail shoulder. The reaction time was still slow to the wrist and the fingers. Not overly so as of yet, but enough that it was noticeable to him. If it lasted the war he might be able to fudge it for the rest of the year and not have to call Winry to Hogwarts for repairs. If not, well, at least his research grants covered the expenses, even if it meant that he'd be eating every meal at the officer's mess when he got home. Thankfully his leg wasn't giving him any problems, other than aching in the damp cold. That was normal.

He had gone over the maintenance instructions that Winry had sent him at the beginning of the school year meticulously. He had checked everything that he could see without taking the arm off. That wasn't something he wanted to do without someone to help him put it back on and a very good reason.

With one last rotation of his shoulder joint Edward started penning his letter to his brother.

_Alphonse,_

_Thanks for the letter. It caught me just when I was having a really bad day and hearing from you then really helped to clear that day up. I'm glad to hear that everything is going well at home. Tell Winry and Granny that they don't need to worry about loosing this client, I haven't found anything that will regrow lost limbs here that I really want to try out. _

_Things are going smoothly with the teaching gig. I'm giving them a middle of term examination, practical and written. Nothing like how Teacher tested us, but then again I'm not allowed to beat on them. Oh well, I have other ways. I'm still working with Tonks on shaping up the kids for actual fights. We haven't done a lot of actual close unarmed combat training other than escape techniques but they're all coming along nicely. Of course, they're years away from being competent but we're only trying to rough train them before they end up getting themselves killed later on in life. _

_It's March, almost April now, and I feel like I'm counting the days before I can come home. While the weather has heated up a bit it's still damp and raining at the drop of a hat. You remember that time when the river flooded and we met Teacher? It rains more here. Why people would want to live on a damp rock like this I will never understand. _

_Tonks and her boyfriend say hi. Tell Winry to stop nagging you about my automail, it's doing just fine. If I have problems I'll write her about them. Tell the old bat that she'd better take care of herself. And Alphonse, please take care of yourself._

_Your brother,_

_Edward_

It was better he didn't know what was really going on.

* * *

Edward was silent. His eyes were closed and his arms were crossed over his chest. The classroom was almost silent. It was quiet enough that he could actually hear some of the birds outside. The illusion of peace was calming.

The sound of breathing and quill pens against parchment was the only sound that originated inside the classroom. Edward had his classes trained well. Not a single student looked up from his or her papers. Today was the first day of the Alchemy mid term examinations and Edward was trying to mentally prepare himself for war at the same time as doing something so mundane as proctoring an exam. It was a strange juxtaposition.

As the two hour block of time that made up the time for class drew to a close students started, slowly at first, to trickle forward and lay their exam paper face down on his desk. Edward opened his eyes and unfolded himself, reaching for a pen so he could start marking now rather than put it off until a time when he could be dead. Hermione had handed hers in first. No surprise there.

Concentrating as much of his mind as he could on marking the exams helped Edward calm down a little. He honestly hated this part of warfare. The waiting was worse in his mind than the aftermath sometimes.

When the last of the students filed out, leaving their test papers behind with Edward on the desk, Edward stretched. He looked out of the windows and sighed. The sky was overcast. Not a big surprise there but it was still disappointing.

There was a knock at the classroom door.

"Edward?" It was Professor Sprout.

"_Ja?_" Edward stood, putting down the test papers, "Vhat is the matter?"

"Your Mister Mustang has sent the Headmistress a letter outlining who he's bringing with him. Apparently they're already on their way," she said with ill concealed relief. Edward gathered up the test papers and quickly dropped them off on his office desk. He was careful to lock the doors behind him, taking the extra measure to seal them alchemically. None of his students would be able to break in and tamper with their tests now.

Professor Sprout led the way to Professor McGonagall's office with Edward trailing behind her looking not quite like a student – even though he was almost their age – but more like a bodyguard. It was a bearing that he had developed unconsciously over the years, a devil-may-care attitude that had become the latest trademark within the military for cocky. Everyone in Edward's outfit thought it hilarious and were strangely proud that the quirks of their boss were so infamous.

"I've brought Edward, Minerva," Sprout said, rapping twice on the door and then letting herself in.

"Good." McGonagall was all business, thrusting a piece of paper at the Alchemist. "Edward, what can you tell us about the people that are coming? We would like to know what sort of skills will be backing us."

Edward took the paper. Tonks, Remus and Moody were in the office as well, having stayed just in case something happened. He glanced at the paper and grinned. "Mustang got all of his men for this one," he said gleefully, "That is _sehr gut_. Riza Hawkeye is an expert in munitions and her aim with any kind of gun is so good she could hit a playing card in the dead center vhen it's almost out of sight. Jean Havoc is almost as good as Hawkeye with guns but he's better at hands-on infiltration and close-range assassination than being a long-range sniper. Kane Furey is in communications and mans the switchboard. He's not bad vith a gun but he's better vith keeping people organized and talking to the right people. Heymans Breda – huh, poor guy, didn't know that was his first name – is built like an American Football linebacker and is an excellent shot as well. They are used to vorking together underneath _Generalmajor_ Mustang and have been since before I joined the military. I do not think that you could get a better group of fighters vithout getting the entire army," he finished, handing the letter back. "It vas vith these men that Mustang von the civil war."

"Thank you, Edward," McGonagall nodded gratefully. "I'll admit to being unsure as to how much assistance Mister Mustang and his men will be given the reports we have received, but it is reassuring to know that we have allies."

Normally, Edward admitted to himself, Amestris probably wouldn't have cared a jot about what happened to Britannia's magical community, but their precious Fullmetal Alchemist was in the thick of a brewing war and that tended to change things slightly. Funny that.

Edward nodded and excused himself. He did, after all, still have papers to grade.

* * *

Harry and Ronald were kept informed of what was going on by Remus and Tonks. Edward would drop by every once in a while, harass Harry, tell them what was happening on the planning end of things and harass Harry a little more. They both needed the release, their situations refusing them opportunities to vent their frustration. If they didn't pick at each other things would have been destroyed. And that would have been a bad thing.

As it was, despite the backbiting and family insulting going on Harry and Edward were getting to be somewhat decent friends. There was this mutual respect between them that no one could quite understand.

Hermione had attached herself to Ronald right away and the two were together as often as Hermione could get away from classes and studies. Edward smiled a little to see them together. It made him long for home more and more, not Eastern Headquarters where he was stationed, taking over for Mustang when he had gotten promoted, but Resembool. It was the sleepy home of his youth that he missed. The green hills, the warm weather, the back-out-of-nowhere feel, the verbal sparring sessions he had with Winry. Yes, even the wrenches.

Home, sweet home.

Well, on second thought maybe not the wrenches. Alphonse had suggested one day, laughing and joking as he spoke, that the real reason why Edward hadn't cut his hair was because he didn't want people to see the scars on his head from all the wounds left from wrenches that just happened to be flying in his direction with deadly accuracy. Edward hadn't said much on that, only laughing with a vague comment on how that was a ridiculous reason to keep his hair long before he changed the subject. Only Alphonse had noticed and he hadn't said anything.

Not that his hair had anything to do with the current events going on at Hogwarts and, indeed, all of Britain but it made a nice segue into lighter subjects than war. Like how the Qudditch season was going. With the sudden drop in Slytherin students that this year had seen the only competition that Gryffindor was seeing was Ravenclaw. Hufflepuff was placed in third thus far and Slytherin's team, what there was of it, was the joke of the school.

For some reason hearing this news made Harry and Ronald very happy.

Edward was spending more and more time out back with the chickens. They were the only livestock on school grounds that were alright to kill in large numbers. Not that he was _trying_ to kill them, but accidents happened. Often. Bioalchemy was a finicky field of work and Edward never did have a knack for doing light-handed work. He always was more of a demolition kind of guy. This brand of meticulous work was something that had always given him a headache in the past when he had dabbled in it. Edward could pour over books for days, forgetting food, sleep and his surroundings. He could devote his entirety to cracking a new alchemical code without batting an eyelash. But medical alchemy was a headache and a half for the young genius.

Then again, Edward supposed, something had to be difficult for him. Life just wouldn't be interesting if everything he tried his hand at came easily.

* * *

Owls flew messages to and from Edward three or five times a day now. Edward still hadn't managed to prove his theory with the chickens and the supply of test subjects was dwindling. Harry and Ronald had settled down – somewhat – in their wing, patiently waiting for the gauntlet to fall. The order of the incendiary avian – or whatever – was standing on call, ready to converge at a moments notice. The pieces were in place on their side of the board, with the exception of Mustang and his men who were traveling as fast as they could.

Edward had graded all of the written examination papers and was three quarters of the way through the practical exams. The stress was starting to get to him in a noticeable way. He went silent, broody, and at the slightest provocation he would snap. House points were taken away, students dressed down, walls and desks cracked.

"Calm down, Edward," Tonks would tell him. "Try to relax a little," was the advice from Remus. Edward would thank them politely before wandering off to go practice some moves with whatever weapon tickled his fancy at the moment. Either that or harass Tonks' Practical Defense classes.

At the present moment Edward wasn't harassing anyone, killing any chickens, reading any medical texts, writing any reports, grading any papers or transmuting anything into anything sharp and dangerous. He was reading. His flesh hand rested gently on the owl that was sitting on his writing desk in his bedroom. He read the words scrawled on the scrap of paper over and over. For some reason what was written there on that scarp of paper did not seem to make any sense to his mind.

Understanding hit him like gunfire.

Moving so suddenly that he startled the owl right out of the open window Edward darted out of his rooms, office and classroom, not bothering to lock anything behind him. That would take time. He didn't have time.

It was in between classes at the moment. The halls were packed. Edward shoved his way unceremoniously through the mob or black robed children. Curses and expletives trailed in his wake.

McGonagall wasn't in her classroom. Edward swore a blue streak up and down in German before spinning off into another direction.

Her office. Check her office, he thought wildly.

"Edward! What's your hurry?" It was Tonks.

Edward didn't pause. He called over his shoulder instead. "_Frau _Tonks! You vill vant to follow me. It's important!"

Tonks was only a second in complying. She kept easy pace with her young friend and they pushed through concourses of students together. Edward moved with an eye single to his goal. Tonks followed, wondering what had him in such a tizzy.

McGonagall was in her office. Edward and Tonks were panting by they time they got there.

"What in the world has gotten into the two of you?" McGonagall demanded, taken aback and looking worried.

Edward cast the note onto the table. The Headmistress picked it up and read.

"War has been declared," she said, reading it aloud, "Voldemort is marching his army on the school."

"And reinforcements are still three days away," Edward nodded grimly.


	12. Chapter 12

A/N: I would just like to apologize in advance for this chapter... specifically the ending. By the time i got this far i was so sick of this story (yes, it happens very easily for me) that i felt like killing everyone off in one fell swoop and letting Voldemort win the day. I compromised. Please forgive me for not bothering to do any better.

**Chapter 12**

**In the Time of War**

The students had been evacuated the moment the news had arrived. Hogwarts was almost a ghost castle, deserted with the exception of the handful of Wizards and Witches that had sworn to see to the downfall and destruction of the Dark Lord Voldemort. The Order of the Phoenix had gathered, for what that counted for. They had also called in all the magical creatures that despised the Dark. Most others had fled.

Hogwarts Castle did not look like the peaceful school that it had been not four days before. The stone walls were deeply scored and the once green grass was torn, pitted, burned and stained. The defenders of the castle were being worn down slowly even as they took out their share of the Dark Army. Every single Wizard and Witch was pulling their own weight, fighting tooth and nail, curse and hex, but there was one other, a boy with hair of spun sunlight and eyes of polished gold, that was doing the most damage.

Edward Elric, Fullmetal Alchemist, Colonel in the Amestris Army, State Alchemist Division, was, admittedly, the only thing between a standstill and being overrun. All of the magical folk agreed, even reluctant 'Mad-eye' Alistair Moody. Of course, this also meant that he was the one who was doing the most running around in addition to all of the damage he was inflicting. No one could really keep track of the alchemist. One moment he was in the thick of the Dark Army blowing everything up and slicing things unmentionable to pieces, the next he was back in the castle seeing how big he could make an explosion without melting any of the Good Guys. It was a madcap adventure, fighting with Edward Elric.

"Elric!" someone screamed through the din. "We've got more giants coming! What can you do about them?"

Edward didn't waste his energy on answering verbally. Of all the people fighting he was the one who had been getting the least sleep. It seemed that once the magicians had realized the flexible versatility of the Fullmetal Alchemist he was suddenly indispensable.

And indispensable meant that Edward was run ragged when he was awake, catching only fleeting snatches of sleep when he could and eating food that he didn't, couldn't, taste when he found the time.

The Ministry of Magic had sent aurors when it was painfully, blindingly obvious that Voldemort had returned and was on a rampage. They had been a blessed relief. Edward had taken the brief respite their arrival had caused and dozed lightly.

Now, of course, thing had picked back up and Edward was dashing to and fro causing as much havoc for Voldemort has he could. Let the magicians see why State Alchemists were called the human weapons of Amestris. Edward hopped off the curtain wall he had been running over, landing hard, his stride hardly breaking. Creatures tried to converge on him. A crack of alchemical lightening later and Edward was sporting a shiny blade on the back of his automail hand that flashed through bodies, spraying blood everywhere.

Giants, where were they? Edward frantically scanned the battlefield. Towards the lake lumbered the gargantuan creatures and Edward considered what would be the most efficient way to dispose of them. He clapped his hands together.

Edward had once been asked what it felt like to transmute things on a grand scale. He had flippantly answered that it was being god. But now, as he placed his mismatched hands over the earth, his golden eyes paling with the energies he controlled, Edward focused on the massive transmutation he was about to begin.

He could feel information racing through his mind. It was always like this for any transmutation, big or small, but Edward only ever paid attention the the large transmutations now, the smaller ones second nature to him by now. Information about the earth he was connected to – sand, clay, a deposit of granite – about the plants that grew in the soil, about the water of the lake, everything raced into his mind in one heady rush. Bending the alchemical energies to his will he manipulated not only the shape of the materials that were at hand but also the very composition of them. Edward's mind was enthralled by the process. His eyes were almost blind to the world around him. His consciousness was racing through molecules, chains of DNA, shaping them to his iron will.

Normally alchemists needed arrays in order to sharpen and control the elusive energies and focus them to their will. Edward's array was purely mental, his mind alone being enough to direct all of the confusion that assaulted him. The mark of the Truth of Alchemy sped thing up remarkably. Through the focus of Edwards mind blue alchemical lightnings raced from his fingertips into the ground. Edward commanded the elements to do his bidding and the elements answered his call with enthusiasm.

The earth rose, sinking and growing as it shifted, in a score of grasping hands, each one big enough to destroy a house with the flick of a finger. The grasping fingers sought out and wrapped around the giants, then, without a pause in motion, pulled them down into the earth. Only a small rise in the terrain suggested that any change had happened.

And all this in mere seconds.

A curse lanced through the air in his direction. Edward ducked and rolled out of the way, coming up to mince something that looked like a dwarf with boils.

There was suddenly a sharp rat-a-tat-tat of multiple gunfire and the dull, loud roar of fire being called. Edward spun around, taking out another Dark Creature as he moved. Through the bloodshed and smoke strode someone Edward had been certain that he would never have been so happy to see before. Trailing him were four soldiers in blue uniforms, guns drawn and firing rapidly. Edward grinned.

"It's about time you got here," he yelled, "You missed out on most of the fun!"

"Glad to see you've saved some for us, Edward," Roy Mustang yelled back, snapping his fingers. A spark flew through the air to explode in size in the middle of a knot of Dark Creatures. Black smoke rose into the sky and the stench of burning flesh assaulted them like a intangible weapon. Edward couldn't stop grinning.

"Just don't make me regret asking you to come, Mustang," he taunted.

"Someone had to haul your butt out of the fire, Brat," Roy threw back.

"Funny, you saying that," Edward created his own small wall of flames to keep at bay an advancing group.

"Sirs," Hawkeye snapped, "this is not the time. Edward, catch!"

Edward snatched the handgun out of the air, flipped off the safety and unloaded three bullets into the heads of some Dementors that were floating in the distance. They fell like stones. "Thanks!" he shouted. Havoc tossed him some extra clips of ammunition which he pocketed for later use.

"We'll need a situation and status report, Fullmetal," Roy said after a couple of minutes of heavy artillery fire. Edward nodded sharply.

"Inside the castle. Just give me a second." He finished off his clip on a giant bird that somewhat looked like a harpy and turned, clapped his hands and slammed his palms on the wall of the castle. The stone melted and shifted into an arched opening. Roy waved his subordinates in and they complied with alacrity. He and Edward dashed in almost at the same time and Edward closed the opening before anything else could get through.

"This way," Edward said, spinning on his heel and striding off across the courtyard. He led them into the castle proper and into the nearest room he could find: the Great Hall. He cleared off a table with a sweep of his arm, transmuted some paper and a pencil and began.

"Voldemort and his army have been sieging Hogwarts for two and a half days now," he said, rough sketching the outline of the castle and grounds. "They started their attack here, at the front of the castle, thinking that a breach would be easy. We had evacuated all of the students by that time out of some tunnels that led underground into various points in the village. From their they had teachers to take them further away using something that they call _apparation._ It's essentially like teleportation, if you must know. Anyways, Voldemort attacked at the from first but I had made certain that the outer walls and doors were reinforced, lined with metal and concrete, and that slowed them down quite a bit."

"Good thinking," Roy murmured, staring down at the map fixedly. Edward wasn't even sure if the Major General had realized that he had just complimented him, but Edward wasn't paying much attention either.

"He's been calling in more flying creatures – harpies, dragons, wyverns and a couple more that I don't recognize – and giants. I wouldn't recommend getting anywhere near the floating things in black shrouds. They do something to you, make you relive the worst moments in your life over and over before they suck out your soul through your mouth," he warned seriously. No one even cracked a smile at the absurdity of it. "I've found that the best way to get rid of them is to kill them from a distance with as much speed as you can. Guns, firestorms, spears of rock skewering them from underneath, whatever you can do."

"Guns sound good to me," Havoc said around his cigarette to his fellow non-alchemist soldiers, "Whadda you guys think?"

"Guns," they agreed. Roy and Edward shrugged at each other, cold-humor smiles playing about their lips.

"Anyways," Edward continued, "we have about thirty people fighting here in the castle, magicians all of them."

"Don't hold it against them," Furey said at the tone of Edward's voice. Edward shot him an unreadable glance but didn't comment.

"They're not bad, but to Voldemort they're predictable. We're the wild cards in the little war here. From what I've been told Voldemort knows nothing about alchemy and hates people without magic with a passion. We're the ones that are going to have to be unseen, snipers and assassins." He bit his lip, "A word of advice. If a beam of coloured light is heading towards you, hit the dirt. That's what their magic looks like in and in this situation you can guarantee that it's going to be unpleasant stuff."

"Noted," Roy nodded, "Continue."

"I have already picked out several locations, close to each other, for you four. Sorry Feury but your radios aren't going to work here. Anything with electricity is disrupted and fried. You didn't bring them, did you?"

"Just walkie talkies and headsets." Fuery sighed, unloading the personal-sized radios onto the table.

"Might as well leave them hear. The only thing they're going to be good for is throwing at people," Edward said. "Voldemort has been here," he pointed to his map, "but I haven't been able to get to him. It wouldn't do any good if I did right now anyways, because he's got his soul split still. I'm going to need you guys to cover me when I destroy the last container because I know that the people on our side aren't going to like it."

"Will do, Boss," Havoc nodded.

* * *

Edward decided again that he hated war. He crouched down, his arms thrown over his head as stones rained down from the newly blasted hole in the curtain wall. One of the stones had stuck him on his flesh arm and Edward was almost certain that the bones were cracked if not broken. It throbbed in time to his accelerated heartbeat. He'd have to have someone splint it later.

Fire blossomed to life in the new gap in the wall, cutting off the invaders in their tracks. Bone-grating screams echoed straight through everyone's skulls. Roy snapped orders to Edward to take Hawkeye and Breda to the other side of the gaping hole in the wall, giving them cover. Edward and the two soldiers nodded sharply. They waited only as long as it took for another miniature firestorm to roar to life before dashing across the open expanse and scrambling to their new positions at the top of the wall. Hawkeye reloaded her rifle and took aim at a group of dementors that was gliding towards the breach. Havoc, his cigarette almost burned to the filter, had his gun emptied and reloaded before he noticed Edward's arm.

Edward was taken aback as Havoc holstered his handgun and grabbed his broken arm. The alchemist grimaced, enough of a reaction for Havoc to know how much pain Edward was in. There were few people that were more stubborn than Edward when it came to pain, having gone through a double automail surgery without a single scream. It was something that Edward was silently proud of and Roy and his men knew it.

"Why can't you alchemists take care of yourselves? I'll need splints, Boss," he muttered around his cigarette. He cast about for something that he could use, coming up with a peace of a shattered board. He tossed it in front if Edward and Edward took the broad hint and created some smaller boards from it, the length of his forearm. Havoc grunted something and told him to take off his coat. Edward did. The bright red coat was soon several inches shorter as Havoc tied the splint to Edward's arm with the flashy material. When he was satisfied Havoc pulled out his gun again and turned back to the fight. Edward checked his mobility briefly before joining the fray once more.

They had suffered casualties. Most of the magickers had been hit with some curse and were nursing wounds both physical and magical. Edward was lucky that he had made it as long as he had before breaking his arm. Roy's arrival had been a very welcome respite, more so after it was proven that a gun could take down the feared dementors from a safe distance without requiring the energy that a patronus charm would take.

Edward grimly skewered a group of ugly troll-things as Roy turned his attention towards the bulk of the army, letting his men take care of stalling invaders at the breach. Edward watched with a hint of envy at the finesse that Roy used to handle the flames he called. In a shocking and grim way it was beautiful and almost artistic. The fire rose to life like a dragon surging towards the sky, tongues of flames licking across the ground like predatory snakes that snapped at anything flammable, swallowing them whole and moving on for more. Smoke from burnt flesh rose into the sky, darkening the sun.

It was a fearful sight to behold.

"Professor Heidrich!" someone screamed. Edward turned sharply, ducking back down behind the wall. Hermione was dashing through the detritus towards him. She skidded to a stop, dropping down beside him, gasping. She had a cut above her eyebrow that was dripping blood down her face and there was a bruise on her jaw that he could see that he was certain was uncomfortable to talk through.

"What is it?" he asked, casting a quick look over the wall.

"It's the other side of the castle," she gasped, "We can't keep the shock troops back. Tonks told me to find you." Edward dragged her to her feet and ordered to her take him there. He nodded once to Hawkeye who had heard the conversation before running after Hermione.

"Fullmetal!" Roy yelled, catching sight of them.

Edward barely spared a moment for explanation. He didn't stop as he yelled back, "Problems in the back!" and kept going.

Problems indeed. Edward arrived just in time to see Lupin take a green curse in the chest. The man fell back. Tonks screamed, her arms reaching out to catch him.

Edward traced the path of the curse that had felled his friend, sending a deadly ridge of stone spears lancing up from the earth towards the caster. Noise filled his ears. The rush of alchemy in use, explosions, screams, wailing, the wild language of the monsters, it all rushed around him in a cacophony of ear-filling incomprehensibility.

The earth rocked unexpectedly, pitching Edward to the ground. He landed on his bad arm. All the colour drained from his face and it took him a minute before he got back to his feet. He leaned against a wall, his eyes scanning the situation.

"Tonks! No!" he screamed, lurching forward.

Edward could only watch as other lance of green light hit his friend square on the chest. She crumpled, her momentum tumbling her forward. She lay still.

In all honesty Edward wasn't able to say what he did after he saw Tonks die like that. His mind, his thoughts, were pushed to the back burner while his body reacted. Disregarding his broken arm he clapped his hands together. Sparks raced through the air and the resulting explosion rocked the entire castle. A funnel of flames spiraled towards the sky in the center of this branch of the attacking army. The intensity sucked in the creatures unfortunate enough to be too close to the firestorm. Edward's paled-golden eyes reflected the firelight. He did not drop his hands, forcing oxygen towards the flames, keeping them alive.

Suddenly he was no longer standing on the fringe of the battle. The dark creatures weren't stupid enough to stand around and allow themselves to be fuel for the flames, they were running. Edward was doing a very frightening revision of Scar. Blood and bodily matter sprayed through the air. The earth shifted into pits and spikes, grasping hands and cannons waiting to be fired.

Spells flew through the air around him, both aimed for him and aimed for the others. Edward, moving on adrenalin alone, dodged all the spells cast at him. Those that he couldn't dodge found themselves stonewalled – literally. Trailing behind Edward was a series of small, six foot tall stone walls, each with their own scorch marks marring their smooth surfaces.

At length the rush of adrenalin tapered off and Edward dropped down to the ground, back on what was relatively safe ground. He guessed that this must have been a hallway at one point. Now it was only a tunnel lit by many holes that looked out onto the battlefield.

Edward just sat there. Now that he wasn't moving, wasn't fighting, he couldn't stop himself. It started with a dry cough and soon the Fullmetal Alchemist dissolved into silent tears. They streamed down his cheeks as if someone had turned a faucet on. It wasn't a production. It was private. It was the only release Edward would allow himself.

And it couldn't last long.

The sounds of fighting hadn't dimmed. Edward reigned in his grief and hauled himself to his feet. His broken arm was throbbing even more than before from the callus manhandling that he had put it through. He grimaced. It wasn't just his arm. He had a cut somewhere on his head, just above the hairline on his forehead, that was seeping blood still. Ah, it was almost clotted. He wiped as much of the blood as he could off of his face, although he guessed he was probably smearing it more than removing it. Oh well.

The patter of someone running in his direction caught Edward's attention. He peered cautiously around the corner to see who it was.

"Ronald!" he said, catching the red haired boy's attention. Ronald darted towards him, skidding around the corner. "What's the matter now?" Edward demanded, catching the boy's arms.

"We're being pushed back!" Ronald gasped out between desperate inhalations.

Edward swore and threw Ronald away as he flew across the detritus strewn battlefield towards Mustang's last position. Along the way he caught Harry's arm and dragged him along with only a short order to shut up and do as he said.

"Mustang!" Edward shouted. The Major General spun around. His uniform was torn and smoke stained his face. He looked tired. Edward briefly wondered how he looked. "Where's Voldemort?"

Roy turned the same question on Feury. The short comm officer rattled off the answer. Edward nodded, frowning darkly. "Cover me, Roy," he said with steely resolution in his voice, "I'm about to make myself hated."

"Understood."

"Wait! What do you mean by that?" Harry demanded. Edward said nothing. He clapped his hands together and hit Harry square in the chest. His green eyes widened in momentary shock before the force from the strike threw him back into the crumbling stone wall.

Harry Potter was dead.

"Are you certain this will work, Fullmetal?" Roy asked, frowning. Edward scowled.

"Shut up so I can bring him back, Mustang," he snapped. He briefly closed his eyes before he clapped his hands together once more and pressed them against Harry's chest. "Come on, don't be like the chickens," he prayed. "Please don't be like the chickens. Come back!"

**Epolgue**

History always got facts muddled. Historians, try as they might to be unbiased, are always influenced by something, be it their past, their present or what they think their future holds. Influence is an impossible thing to be rid of.

In the case of the Final Battle with the Dark Lord Voldemort things are somewhat muddled on some accounts and very clear on others. Voldemort attacked Hogwarts in full force. The reason for this brash move remained to be speculated upon but the leading theory was that he had gotten word somehow that Harry Potter was hiding there. From there things get messy. Some people account to seeing Harry get killed by someone on their own side. But that couldn't be true because Harry Potter survived the battle, killing Voldemort in a fantastic display of spellmanship.

So of course the people who claimed that they had seen Harry Potter die were discredited very quickly.

Historical accounts of this battle vary depending on the author. But we're not going to get into the dirty details. The battle was won, Harry Potter survived even though the side of Light suffered heavy casualties. That was enough to settle the accounts with the masses.

No one in the British Isles saw Edward Heidrich again. The rest of the school year had been canceled due to lack of a school building and Edward, it seemed, took that as an invitation to go home with his Commanding Officer and the soldiers he had brought. Edward faded from their lives as quickly as he had erupted upon them.

* * *

The train rattled and swayed as the land outside swept past. The single occupant of one compartment was stretched out along one of the seats, a book open on his chest, one thumb hooked under it as if it had just gotten too heavy to hold up. His breathing was steady and even. He had, in fact, been traveling for quite some time and this was the last leg of his journey.

The train slowed and the young man was jolted awake. He looked out the window, ran a hand though his hair and grabbed his suitcase. This was his stop.

"Welcome back," the station manager said to him with a friendly smile as he disembarked. The young man waved, still waking up. He didn't even bother to check his path, just allowing the familiarity of the land carry him along. He had walked these roads all of his life, and often in pitch dark or so exhausted that he couldn't walk straight. At least this time he was semi-conscious.

People waved and shouted greetings to him from their fields. He waved back, calling replies. He waved at a well kept graveyard as he walked past, paying respects to the family he had that was resting there. At the base of a hill that had a house on the top he paused.

"Guess this really is home for me," he said to himself as he shoved a hand into a pocket and slung his suitcase over his shoulder. Whistling tunelessly he started up the hill. A dog with a prosthetic leg barked happily and bounded over to greet him.

"Hey Den," he said, scratching behind the dog's ears. He didn't pause in his ascent of the hill and soon he was at the house. He knocked twice and opened the door. "Hey everyone, I'm back."

"Edward!" "Brother!" came the first immediate responses to his entrance.

"Hey Al," Edward grinned and allowed the younger – but still taller – Elric brother to give him an effusive hug. "Hey Winry, do you think you could fix my automail for me? I kinda busted it up a bit."

There was a moment of silence.

"JUST WHAT DID YOU DO NOW!??!"

The End

A/N: told you the ending sucked :P


End file.
